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It contributes to the mixed signals of the Trump administration, participating in a donation ceremony of more than one million textbooks to Malawi, one of the world's poorest countries, Thursday, even though that President Trump has suggested drastically reducing the funding of foreign aid that could provide future donations.
In each country during her visit, Ms. Trump seemed comfortable and perhaps happy to be out of Washington. She posed for photos with babies and children, often muttering the same things at each stop – "Beautiful!" And "Hi guys!" – Holding hands or waving the camera. And in the face of Washington's implosion in a battle to confirm Brett Kavanaugh, Trump's Supreme Court candidate, Ms. Trump seemed to escape the usual scrutiny that is pinching her stilts in Washington.
On Friday, she looked happy when visiting a red clay feeding pad for orphan elephants in Nairobi National Park. She gave them formula milk in oversized bottles, tapped the animals on their heads and inspected their disjointed ears. Mrs. Trump, a former superstitious model who was criticized for putting a toe in her place, wore a pristine white shirt to see the elephants. She emerged without smudging.
After feeding the elephant, she added the marrow helmet to her outfit and social media started to light up. While the first lady was sitting alone in her vehicle, peering binoculars and photographing zebras, giraffes and impalas on her iPhone, critics analyzed her decision to wear the white hat that attracted attention.
"It's like attending a meeting of African-American cotton producers dressed in a Confederate uniform," said Matthew Carotenuto, coordinator of African Studies at St. Lawrence University, wrote on Twitter. "The historical context is important."
In addition to welcoming the first ladies to the White House or meeting them at the United Nations, it's hard to know how much Ms. Trump knew of Africa before deciding to visit her. Throughout her trip, observers have tried to read the reasons for her trip, looking for clues likely to place her in a studied opposition to the harsh stereotypes of her husband on the African nations.
But Ms. Trump's seemingly modest decision to wear the helmet seemed to show an equally limited understanding of the places she went to this week, said Professor Dionne, a professor of political science.
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