Melania, Dressed In Black, And President Trump Had ‘Bumpy’ Flight Takeoff En Route To Billy Graham’s Funeral
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia, to begin their long day of travel amid strong winds. As seen above, Melania covered her head and part of her face getting ready to board Air Force One on Friday, March 2 to prepare for the trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, to attend the “celebration of life” services for Reverend Billy Graham, as the funeral was featured on the Billy Graham website’s live-stream.
The press reported titled “Subject: DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018” from the White House’s Office of the Press Secretary noted that President Trump and Melania were scheduled to leave the White House at 9 a.m. and arrive by 9:35 a.m. at Dulles International Airport. By 9:55 a.m., the flight would take off en route to Charlotte, arriving by 11:10 a.m. at Douglas International Airport. By noon, Melania and President Trump were scheduled to leave Charlotte en route to Palm Beach, arriving at Mar-a-Lago by 4:05 p.m.
However, one White House correspondent at HuffPost noted what a bumpy ride the initial flight was for the Trumps. First off, the reporter published the pool report titled “Subject: WH Travel Pool Report 1,” which detailed that Friday was so windy that the federal government had to close. The reporter wrote that taking off from “the north-south runways at Joint Base Andrews would have been a challenge.”
Instead, President Trump’s motorcade left from Dulles International Airport in Reston, Virginia, but the drive didn’t take the normal hour-long drive it would have taken had the roads not been so clear of traffic as the Beltway was shut down during their 22-mile journey. The pool report titled “Subject: WH Travel Pool 2” noted that Trump wasn’t expected to speak at the funeral. CNN did report, however, that the Graham Family was especially appreciative of the Trumps’ presence.
The senior White House correspondent next noted in the “Subject: WH Pool Report 3” that while the takeoff from Virginia was “bumpy,” it was less windy and sunny in Charlotte, with a smooth and uneventful flight that included no press briefings from President Trump. Melania was at Trump’s side as the president, who donned a “dark suit blue and white striped tie, and navy overcoat,” descended the stairs of the plane. Five minutes later, according to “Subject: WH Travel Pool Report 4,” the motorcade had arrived at the venue.
