Donald Trump appeared to have forgotten his manners when he let his wife fend for herself on the tarmac while he ran up the stairs to board Air Force One first in horrific weather.
Melania Trump, 47, and her husband, 71, departed from Dulles International Airport on Friday morning ahead of Reverend Billy Graham’s funeral in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The pair were met with strong winds when they exited their vehicle to board the plane, with gusts scheduled to go beyond 30 miles per hour in the Washington, D.C. area over the course of the day.
Rude: Donald Trump appeared to have forgotten his manners when he let his wife fend for herself on the tarmac while he ran up the stairs to board Air Force One first in horrific weather
Travels: Melania Trump, 47, and her husband, 71, departed from Dulles International Airport on Friday morning ahead of Reverend Billy Graham’s funeral in Charlotte, North Carolina
But amid flying newspapers and challenging weather conditions, Donald rushed up the presidential aircraft’s stairs without so much as a look for his wife.
He jogged up to Air Force One with a copy of the Washington Post in his hand, boarding the plane first and promptly seeking shelter, as shown in ABC footage of the moment.
Melania, meanwhile, was left behind trying to shield her blowout from the wind by wrapping herself in her coat and pulling it on top of her head.
She then climbed up the stairs in five-inch stilettos, trying to hold her outfit together to avoid a wardrobe malfunction.
Donald and Melania used the back entrance of the plane instead of the main door during their departure. The back door is located lower towards the ground, and presumably helped protect the couple from the windy conditions.
The pair have sought to put on a united front in recent days, after appearing distant following allegations of infidelity on the president’s part.
In a hurry? Amid flying newspapers and challenging weather conditions, Donald rushed up the presidential aircraft’s stairs without so much as a look for his wife
Fending for herself: Melania, meanwhile, was left behind trying to shield her blowout from the wind by wrapping herself in her coat and pulling it on top of her head
On Thursday, Donald warmly greeted Melania as he made a surprise appearance at a White House summit on the opioid crisis.
‘Melania is here some place. Where is our first lady? Where is she? Where’s Melania?’ the president said in reference to his wife, who had delivered opening remarks during the gathering.
When he spotted her at the back of the room, Donald said: ‘Hello, darling.’
Earlier this week, Donald and Melania held hands publicly during a tribute to Reverend Graham under the rotunda of the Capitol.
This came after Melania flashed a bright smile next to her husband as both of them welcomed the Australian Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull and his wife, Lucy Turnbull, to the White House.
Melania appeared to distance herself from her husband earlier in the year, when allegations that he had an affair with the porn star Stormy Daniels after the birth of their son Barron, now 11, first emerged.
In January, the pair arrived separately to his State Of The Union address, breaking with tradition.
Last month, Melania skipped the South Lawn when she and her husband left Washington, D.C. to travel to Florida in the wake of the Parkland shooting.
Instead, she met him directly on Air Force One, when usually the president and his wife would have been photographed leaving the White House together to board the aircraft.
When Donald and Melania deplaned, the president appeared to try to grab his wife’s hand, or at least her thumb, but she ignored his attempt.
On that same day, a report by the New Yorker featured a Playboy playmate saying she had an affair with Donald in 2006, when Barron was a newborn.
Not carpooling: Last month, Donald and Melania’s 11-year-old son Barron traveled to the airport in a car separate from his parents’ Secret Service vehicle
Separate: The only child of the president and his wife arrived at Palm Beach International Airport, in West Palm Beach, Florida , in his own Secret Service vehicle
Moment of affection: Donald put his hand on Melania’s back as they walked up the steps together, with Barron following behind them
Melania isn’t the only member of the Trump family who has had to fend for herself while boarding Air Force One recently.
Last month, Donald and Melania’s 11-year-old son Barron traveled to the airport in a car separate from his parents’ Secret Service vehicle, as the family prepared to board Air Force One to return home after a long weekend in Mar-a-Lago.
The only child of the president and his wife arrived at Palm Beach International Airport, in West Palm Beach, Florida, in a Secret Service vehicle separate to the one carrying his parents, who arrived on the tarmac just a few seconds before him.
After getting out of his own vehicle, Barron was then seen joining Donald and Melania as they prepared to board the plane, sporting a red long-sleeve shirt, khaki pants, and red New balance sneakers for the short trip back to Washington, D.C.
Footage of the first family’s arrival at the air strip shows Trump’s SUV arriving as part of a multi-car motorcade, which includes a white vehicle that is carrying his son.
The cars then pull up alongside Air Force One, where Donald and Melania make their way out of the SUV alongside several Secret Service agents. Meanwhile, Barron can be seen emerging from his vehicle, which has stopped a few feet back.
He is then escorted out of the car by a Secret Service agent who walks him over to join his parents, who are already making their way up the stairs leading to the presidential aircraft by the he joins them.
Barron appears to rush up the steps to join them, with the president pausing briefly at the top of the stairs to allow his son to catch up, while Melania makes her way inside the air craft.
Before stepping into the aircraft, Trump took a moment to wave to everyone below.
While Barron was in a cheerful red collared shirt, his mother Melania donned a somber black blazer, black skinny jeans, and Dior combat boots.
The president, however, was a bit more dressed up, wearing a suit, a blue striped tie, and an American flag pin in his lapel for the trip home.