2018.10.06 03:33
Melania Trump, ending Africa tour, says, glad Kavanaugh, accuser been heard
By Jeff Mason, Reuters• October 6, 2018
CAIRO (Reuters) - Melania Trump concluded her trip to Africa on Saturday by voicing support for her husband’s embattled Supreme Court nominee and urging people to pay less attention to what she wears.
The U.S. first lady said the message of her tour to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt was to show the world that “we care.” She dismissed reports about alleged derogatory comments reportedly made by President Donald Trump about African countries and said the issue had not come upon her visit.
The stylish former model also said she did not always agree with her husband’s tweets and gave him her opinion directly, even though he does not always follow her advice. The four-country trip was a coming out of sorts for the first lady in the world stage. It was her first major solo trip abroad and a rare example of a time when she has answered questions by reporters.
Speaking in Cairo on the tour’s final leg, Trump praised Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and said she was glad he and his accuser had a chance to be heard following allegations of sexual assault.
“I’m glad that Dr. Ford was heard. I’m glad that Judge Kavanaugh was heard, FBI investigation was done - is completed - and (the) Senate voted,” Trump said, referring to psychology professor Christine Blasey Ford who had accused him of sexually assaulting her. Kavanaugh has denied all the allegations.
Trump declined to say whether she believed Ford. “We need to help all the victims, no matter what kind of abuse they had,” she said. “I’m against any kind of abuse.”
President Trump has been quoted as saying immigrants from Africa came from “shithole countries”. He denied making the remark. Trump said that her husband’s alleged derogatory comment about African countries did not come up on her trip. “Nobody discussed that with me, and I never heard him saying those comments. And that was an anonymous source and I would leave it at that.”
She said she did not always agree with her husband’s tweets, and that she tells him that. She also said she wished that people would focus on what she does, not what she wears, and then proceeded to pose for pictures in front of some of Egypt’s greatest landmarks.
The first lady came in for some criticism back home for her choice of headgear in Kenya. Some commentators said she had made a mistake by wearing a white pith helmet, a hat favored by 19th-century European colonialists, because of its association with the exploitation of Africans.
Trump has focused on her signature issue of campaigning for children with stops at a hospital, primary school, and an orphanage.
Speaking near the Sphinx, Trump said that the message of her trip has been to show “that we care. And we want to show the world that we care.”
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2018.10.06 03:56
2019.04.24 09:31
Indeed, Steve, I have one embarrassing story in regard to my cheap lip service involved to Idiot Donald's wife, poor(?) Slovenian girl whom I always felt as an innocent victim of his.
I had chances to visit to Univ Ljubljiana quite a few occasions to give lectures and workshops through the years, and developed a good personal friendship with one of the vascular surgeons enough to be invited to his countryside house as well. But I didn't know he is the surgeon who did the surgery on Melania's parents- I believe both couples received varicose veins surgery- till lately.
So, I politely congratulatd to Andrej, the surgeon, asking how proud Slovenians are with their native daughter to have b ecome the American first lady, over the dinner table last December while in New York for VEITH Symposium.
Well, well, well, it was a near disaster - my wife says!- in front of other friends and their wives!
His face became suddenly red, holding his breath a few seconds, and shouted to me ''Cut it out, BB! We are not as stupid as you Americans! You don't know Donald is the person we, Slovenians, hate most! You get that?" My wife was hopping mad at my stupid tabletalk to ruin the appetite and I remained remorseful through all evening!
Anyhow, I felt bad to learn many Slovenians feel embarrassed with poor Melania like a national disgrace!
BB Lee of '63
Not like her husband, Donald, Melania has a very softer side in her politics.
Well, I say, it may be actually more effective than that of Donald.
While he is making enemies out of the entire world, she seems to be making friends all over.
The Reuter newsman, Jeff Mason, wrote it so well for Melania, not as they would write for Donald.
Anyway, I am impressed with what she can do for America as well as her native home of Slovenia.
The picture below is not meant to disrespect her at all but to show how great she actually is.
And at the same time, life is always hard to us and we might have some fun out of it. - by WM
Note by WM: By the way, I traveled both Slovenia and Croatia this spring and found
that Slovenian people were very good in English while the Croatians were not that good at all.
I wish Melania kept the ad there for the Croatian people. Do we need one like that in Korea?