Melania walks alongside Ghana’s First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo during a visit to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital in Accra, Ghana, on October 2, 2018.
From the airport, Trump traveled to Accra’s Ridge Hospital and watched babies being weighed, part of an initiative funded by the United States to advocate nutrition in children. Trump is also scheduled to visit Kenya, Malawi, and Egypt where she will discuss her Be Best campaign to raise awareness of cyberbullying.
“We are taking off for #Africa! So looking forward to visiting #Ghana #Malawi #Kenya & #Egypt as I take #BeBest international,” she tweeted on Monday.
Trump’s tour of Africa may well be intended to help heal some wounds caused by her husband, who once reportedly referred to Haiti and some African nations as “shitholes” during a meeting on immigration back in January. It’s somewhat impossible to imagine Donald Trump arriving in any African country with a smile on his face, much less being greeted with a bouquet of flowers. So Melania, still making infrequent public appearances on her own in the United States, much less abroad, has stepped up to the plate.
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Full ScreenPhotos:White House Holiday Traditions Over the Years
The Roosevelt Administration
The Christmas tree at the White House, December 1934.
Photo: From Bettmann Collection.
The Roosevelt Administration
Carolers sing to F.D.R., November 1940.
Photo: From Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images.
The Truman Administration
President Harry Truman inspects two turkeys that were given to him by the Poultry and Egg National Board and the National Turkey Federation for his Christmas dinner, Dec. 1948.
Photo: By William J. Smith/AP/REX/Shutterstock.
The Kennedy Administration
Jackie Kennedy shows off the 1961 Christmas seals.
Photo: From Bettmann Collection.
The Obama Administration
Sasha, Michelle, Barack, and Malia Obama meet some Christmas elves before the taping of the Christmas in Washington special, December 2011.
Photo: By Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images.
The Trump Administration
Barron and Melania Trump greet the White House Christmas tree, December 2017.
Photo: By Greg E. Mathieson Sr./MAI/REX/Shutterstock.
The Trump Administration
Melania Trump surveys the White House holiday decor, December 2017.