Melania Trump put her most stylish foot forward as she welcomed the Kenyan president and his wife to the White House on Monday – before getting said foot rather filthy while planting a tree on the South Lawn later on in the day.
The 48-year-old first lady readily embraced the warmer weather in Washington, D.C., wearing a $3,950 floral skirt from Valentino and a sleeveless blush-pink shirt, paired with some rather pricey pale pink Christian Louboutin heels, the same $695 heels that were then worn as she enjoyed a spot of afternoon gardening.
President Donald Trump’s wife also wore a large smile on her face as she greeted President Uhuru Kenyatta his wife Margaret, who also made a chic statement in a white shift dress and blue pattered cape.
Warm welcome: President Donald Trump and his wife Melania welcomed Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and his wife Margaret to the White House on Monday
Radiant: Melania, 48, soaked up the final days of summer in a weather-appropriate ensemble made up of a sleeveless blush pink shirt and long floral skirt, paired with pale pink heels
Oh dear: Later in the day, the first lady planted a sapling on the South Lawn, where her sky-high heels caused something of a bother as they sank into the ground beneath her
Melania was seen putting a welcoming hand on Margaret’s shoulder as they followed their husband’s inside the White House, smiling broadly as she guided her inside, no doubt thrilled for the chance to get to know the Kenyan first lady properly ahead of her solo trip to Africa this fall.
The fashion-forward first ladies had plenty of opportunity to bond during their meeting; after joining their husbands in the Oval Office for a photo shoot, they then enjoyed a stroll together while the two leaders talked trade, security – and Trump’s accomplishments.
Trump hosted the Kenyan president as his country is emerging from a period of election turmoil; he is the second African leader to meet with Trump at the White House, following a visit by Nigeria’s president earlier this year.
The US president has been criticized for paying too little attention to the continent and faced demands for an apology earlier this year after his private comments about ‘s***hole countries’ in Africa and other regions were leaked to journalists.
Trump and Kenyatta, during remarks to reporters in the Oval Office and Cabinet room, said they would be discussing a series of topics, including cooperation on terrorism and building trade and investment ties.
Later, Trump trumpeted a preliminary trade deal with Mexico he’d announced earlier in the day as well as recent stock market gains.
Welcome to our home! Melania and Donald looked rather somber as the Kenyan first couple arrived at the White House, but they soon put wide smiles on their faces
Private chat: Melania put an arm around first lady Margaret Kenyatta as the group made their way inside the White House
Forging on ahead! The presidents both stepped in front of their wives, making their way into the White House before the first ladies
Making friends: Melania was no doubt thrilled for the opportunity to get to know Margaret ahead of her solo trip to Africa this fall
Striking: The mother-of-one modeled her signature textured hairstyle and favorite smokey eye
‘Well, you were here on a very special day,’ Trump told Kenyatta, adding: ‘Everything I said is going to happen, it ends up happening, so you picked a good day to come. We’re in a very good mood.’
Kenyatta said he hoped Trump would share the wealth with his country, prompting Trump to joke: ‘We’ll bring that over to Kenya.’
Trump did not respond to repeated questions about Sen. John McCain, who died Saturday at 81 after a 13-month struggle with brain cancer. Trump tweeted condolences to McCain’s family but has made no reference to the Arizona senator, with whom he had a bitter feud.
Trump did not respond to repeated questions about Sen. John McCain, who died Saturday at 81 after a 13-month struggle with brain cancer. Trump tweeted condolences to McCain’s family but has made no reference to the Arizona senator, with whom he had a bitter feud.
Kenyatta has been trying to bolster his image following a crisis in which Kenya’s Supreme Court overturned the August presidential election, citing irregularities, and the opposition boycotted the fresh vote.
Kenya is the third highest recipient of U.S. security aid in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Security Assistance Monitor. Both Kenya and the U.S. have troops in Somalia, and the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group has crossed the border to carry out dozens of attacks inside Kenya, calling it retribution for sending troops. Nearly 100 Kenyan police officers have been killed since May 2017 in bombings and ambushes.
Strike a pose: Melania and Margaret gamely smiled for the cameras, putting on a united front as their husbands had private conversations behind closed doors
Balancing act: While Melania wore incredibly high stiletto heels, Margaret opted for a more sturdy pair of black pumps
Happy: Melania looked delighted to be playing host at the White House, and was seen smiling widely as she bid farewell to the Kenyan first couple
Give ’em a wave! Both Donald and Melania waved the Kenyan president and his wife off
The Kenyan leader is also meeting with U.S. business leaders to promote investment in his country while in Washington; he will host British Prime Minister Theresa May in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, on Thursday.
As for Melania, her official duties didn’t end with the Kenyan first couple’s visit.
Later on in the afternoon, she paid a visit to the South Lawn, where she planted a presidential tree alongside Mary Jean Eisenhower, granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Richard Emory Gatchell, Jr., a fifth-generation grandson of President James Monroe.
Although Melania seemed happy to get her hands dirty, leaning forward to get several shovel-fulls of dirt to pile on top of the large sapling, the first lady may have been better off re-thinking her choice of ensemble – particularly her designer shoes.
As she began digging into the task at hand, her Louboutin heels followed suit, sinking themselves into the loose earth beneath her feet as she began to shovel dirt over the newly-planted tree.
FLOTUS officially arrived on the South Lawn shortly after 3pm, beaming for the cameras as she posed for pictures alongside the two presidential descendants, despite the sweltering 89-degree heat.
Gardening: Melania, Richard Emory Gatchell, Jr., fifth generation grandson of President Monroe, and Mary Jean Eisenhower, granddaughter of President Eisenhower planted a tree
Getting stuck in: The first lady heaped two shovel-fulls of dirt over the sapling, ignoring the fact that her $700 heels were digging into the ground
Beat the heat: Melania and her companions happily completed the task at hand, despite the sweltering 89-degree heat
Done! She spent just three minutes on the lawn before retiring back into the shade
However, Melania didn’t spend too much time in the sunshine, retiring back into the shade just three minutes after she arrived.
But while her visit to the South Lawn may have been brief, the tree she helped to plant will hopefully last a bit longer, having been put in place in order to replace a tree that was blown down during a violent March windstorm.
According to the White House, the 12- to 14-foot sapling came from the original Eisenhower oak that still stands, towering over an East Wing garden created by former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy.
‘We’re honored to make a place here for another historical monument,’ the first lady said, before adding: ‘It’s a very special day.’
Melania also thanked the National Park Service for keeping the White House grounds in ‘beautiful shape and the whole of America in good shape’ and wished the White House Historical Association ‘good luck’ with its upcoming summit.
‘It’s a beautiful tree that we will plant today,’ she noted, before she and her two guests each used gold-toned shovels to toss scoops of dirt onto the sapling.
The president and first lady plan a reception for the White House Historical Association at the White House on Wednesday night.