'This is who she is': The internet responds to Melania Trump's big smile during Africa trip
Melania Trump touched down in Africa for her four-nation tour on Tuesday, and people are pleasantly surprised to see how happy she looks during her first solo international trip as the first lady.
Miles away from Washington, D.C., FLOTUS has been meeting with locals and leaders in a number of regions to learn more about U.S.-supported efforts affecting Africa’s health care and education as an extension of her “Be Best” initiative. But she also seems to be mending the harsh reputation that her host nations have of the Trump administration through her mere enjoyment of the people she’s met and the places she’s visited.
According to CNN’s Kate Bennett, who has been covering Melania Trump for nearly two years, this is the happiest she’s ever seen the first lady.
I have covered @FLOTUS for almost two years and have never seen her smile and laugh more than she is now with these baby elephants 🐘 pic.twitter.com/Cmbt9HpV6k
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) October 5, 2018
. @FLOTUS *dances* with the kids at Nest, entering the baby orphanage as they hold her hands and bring her inside pic.twitter.com/qWG8iNZsET
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) October 5, 2018
People on Twitter agree with Bennett’s sentiment — suggesting that it’s likely a result of her distance from her husband and the controversy surrounding his Supreme Court nominee.
I mean cmon does it get better than baby elephants
— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) October 5, 2018
So beautiful! What an experience. The joy those kids share is beautiful.
— Sarah DiGloria (@SarahDiGloria) October 5, 2018
She's probably just happy to be away from the disaster her husband has created. And from him as well.
— NonDeplorable (@Braveswyn) October 5, 2018
#bestvacation away from husband
— Suzanne Kelleher (@SuzanneKelleher) October 5, 2018
Others haven’t neglected to point out President Trump’s family trophy hunting quite possibly the same elephants that FLOTUS is spending time with.
Good thing she went without Jr…. pic.twitter.com/Fqn95DNEOd
— Green Hornet (@Kokopeli57) October 5, 2018
Maybe she can tell her stepsons to stop murdering them. https://t.co/cb7eqU50eg
— Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) October 5, 2018
Is @FLOTUS making note of which ones Junior & Eric will come back to kill over spring break?
— Liberty Mitchell (@libertythePD) October 5, 2018
Then she needs to start a #BanTrophyHunting office in the WH.
— Elliott Dunwody, VI (@edunwody) October 5, 2018
Regardless of the controversy surrounding the Trump administration and Melania Trump’s extended family, her communications director Stephanie Grisham told the New York Times that this happier Melania Trump is simply the first lady she knows.
“She loves meeting people, learning new things, and being around kids,” Grisham said. “This is who she is.”
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
• Melania Trump heads to Malawi in a $745 dress as protesters greet her with #MeToo-inspired signs
• Melania Trump lands in Ghana in Celine striped shirtdress
• Is Melania Trump trolling the president by wearing black in solidarity with sexual assault survivors? The internet thinks so.
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