U.S. first lady Melania Trump to skip G7, North Korea summit

[webfact]

U.S. first lady Melania Trump to skip G7, North Korea summit

 

First lady Melania Trump participates in a celebration of military mothers and spouses at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 9, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's wife, Melania Trump, will skip this week's G7 summit in Quebec and does not plan to attend the planned June 12 summit in Singapore with North Korea, the White House said on Sunday.

 

Melania Trump attended the G7 meeting in Italy last year. The U.S. first lady, 48, has not been seen in public since May 10 when she and the president welcomed home three Americans who had been held prisoner in North Korea.

 

She underwent a surgical procedure on May 14 to treat a benign kidney condition and was released from the hospital on May 19.

 

"She will not attend the G7 and there are no plans for her to travel to Singapore at this time," her spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in an email on Sunday.

 

The White House said late on Sunday that the president and first lady would host a reception on Monday evening for the families of service members killed in the line of duty. The reception is not open to the press, the White House added.

 

Last Wednesday, Melania Trump tweeted in response to news stories about her absence from public view.

 

"I see the media is working overtime speculating where I am & what I'm doing. Rest assured, I'm here at the @WhiteHouse w my family, feeling great, & working hard on behalf of children & the American people!" she wrote on Twitter.

 

A reporter for CNBC tweeted that he saw the first lady in the White House last Tuesday with her aides.

 

(Reporting by Steve Holland and David Shepardson; Editing by Sandra Maler and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-06-04

[edwinchester]

Things not going too well between Mr & Mrs but that's hardly surprising.

[Thailand]

Probably hasn't helped that hubby is considering Stormy as the new goodwill ambassador to North Korea.

[Carib]

So what is her business at these summits anyway? If there is a plumbers convention do they all bring their wife too? What would they add ? 

[Rimmer]

A derogatory troll post has been removed

[neeray]

Melania doesn't want to witness first hand, her husband ogling the Sing ladies. She'd rather opt for reading about the dirty details in the media a year from now. Maybe by that time, he will have been impeached.

Oh God, please !

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, Carib said:

So what is her business at these summits anyway? If there is a plumbers convention do they all bring their wife too? What would they add ? 

Someone for the other wives to talk to.

 

She's a wise woman. It must be galling for an intelligent person to have to pretend to be interested for hours in all the BS.

[Chomper Higgot]

The real news here is the White House’s and Trumps lies covering up whatever the truth is.

 

Minor operation -lie

Watching from a WH window -lie

etc

[The manic]

39 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

Things not going too well between Mr & Mrs but that's hardly surprising.

Unlike the Clintons or the Kennedy..

 

 

[Boon Mee]

Recovering from surgery of a fairly invasive kind, I'm sure that traveling all that way to Singapore wouldn't be tops on my list either. 

[bristolboy]

As far as I'm aware there is no Consitituitional role for the First Lady. This is the kind of news that belongs on the gossip pages. 

[dick dasterdly]

Who on earth cares about melania??

 

How has this turned into a newsworthy item??

Edited June 4, 2018 by dick dasterdly

[Emster23]

Consider the time as a "mini vacation" I reckon

[ballpoint]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

She's a wise woman. It must be galling for an intelligent person to have to pretend to be interested for hours in all the BS.

The story of her marriage.

[quandow]

She hasn't been seen in public since her operation. Rumors were she got swept up and deported in an ICE operation.

[car720]

4 hours ago, The manic said:

Unlike the Clintons or the Kennedy..

 

 

or the Windsors

[thaiguzzi]

2 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

Who on earth cares about melania??

 

How has this turned into a newsworthy item??

I do. I think she's hot. In a cougar way.

[bristolboy]

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Someone for the other wives to talk to.

 

She's a wise woman. It must be galling for an intelligent person to have to pretend to be interested for hours in all the BS.

Especially one with an imaginary university degree.

(I know what I wrote before but I couldn't resist)

[sawadee1947]

Gosh, she's suffering a "Stormy" time at present. Give her a break

[RickTik]

Although not really "sweating it", I'm disappointed  that Melania won't be making the trip.  I felt that diplomatically, and sister to sister, Melania and Ri Sol Ju would be great friends.  However, whatever they are, I'm sure Melania has her reasons for not going.

 

[oldrunner]

Surely your readers' brains have some room for matters of real interest .

[Srikcir]

4 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Recovering from surgery of a fairly invasive kind, I'm sure that traveling all that way to Singapore wouldn't be tops on my list either. 

While the procedure is often performed on an outpatient basis, it is not uncommon to stay overnight to treat the pain. https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/first-lady-melania-trump-says-shes-feeling-great-after-surgery-but-questions

The surgery is non-invasive.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2018/05/14/melania-trumps-kidney-condition-embolization-procedure-explained.html

Yet, Melanie stayed in the hospital nine days, released May 19th. The Singapore summit is June 12th. Unless there was some significant complications not revealed to the public, she should be able to comfortably travel to Singapore in Air Force One with its presidential suit. I'm sure Air Force One can make as many stops as necessary to assure her comfort. 

The one thing the Air Force cannot assure is Donald Trump's absence - and that might be the problem.

PS: Does Air Force One have twin beds?

[MrMuddle]

Having undergone a kidney operation myself, it takes  a long time to get one's strength back afterwards. Completely understandable that she still wants to rest and take things easy.

[Jingthing]

Avoiding travel would be one thing.

Hiding from the public for so long is another.

Something is obviously going on.

Wish her the best (divorce). 

[bendejo]

All sarcasm aside, I suspect Melania may have attempted suicide.  Or possibly did a major freakout and has been under sedation since.

She's the only one in the cabal that I have any sympathy for.  She may not be a saint, but she is no where in the same league as her husband and his crew.

 

 

[Jingthing]

48 minutes ago, bendejo said:

All sarcasm aside, I suspect Melania may have attempted suicide.  Or possibly did a major freakout and has been under sedation since.

She's the only one in the cabal that I have any sympathy for.  She may not be a saint, but she is no where in the same league as her husband and his crew.

 

 

That's a lot of speculation but it's been clear all along she's been dragged into this, didn't actually expect him to win, because he didn't actually expect to win. His entire presidency is a big hot mess of a Black Swan. The accidental first lady. 

Edited June 4, 2018 by Jingthing

[chickenslegs]

Recovering from an operation. Hasn't been seen for a while. Can't leave home.

 

Reminds me of something ...

 

[geriatrickid]

21 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

The real news here is the White House’s and Trumps lies covering up whatever the truth is.

 

Minor operation -lie

Watching from a WH window -lie

etc

No, she was indeed in the hospital, and she is ill.

Her medical condition need not be shared with the public anymore than yours should be.

In any case, why is she expected to attend these diplomatic functions? She is not an employee of the US government, nor was she elected to public office. She's not remunerated for her  activities.

I admire her for not getting involved in these things. I wish more political spouses did this. Nothing was more idiotic than Nancy Reagan sticking her nose into public affairs, although Trudeau's wife Sophie who's claim to fame is her past bulimia comes a close second. At least Melania is independent and has street smarts.

[bristolboy]

4 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

No, she was indeed in the hospital, and she is ill.

Her medical condition need not be shared with the public anymore than yours should be.

In any case, why is she expected to attend these diplomatic functions? She is not an employee of the US government, nor was she elected to public office. She's not remunerated for her  activities.

I admire her for not getting involved in these things. I wish more political spouses did this. Nothing was more idiotic than Nancy Reagan sticking her nose into public affairs, although Trudeau's wife Sophie who's claim to fame is her past bulimia comes a close second. At least Melania is independent and has street smarts.

Who knows what Melania is like? We know she's not excessively honest. She did invent for herself a university degree. And she did come up with a ludicrous slogan for her anti-bullying campaign. "BE Best" That doesn't argue in favor of her intellect.

But I do absolutely agree with you that unelected spouses should steer clear of politics. And that should have been the case with Hillary Clinton, too. She really oughtn't to have been heading health care reform when she was just Bill Clinton's wife.

[Srikcir]

14 hours ago, MrMuddle said:

Having undergone a kidney operation myself, it takes  a long time to get one's strength back afterwards. Completely understandable that she still wants to rest and take things easy.

Melania didn't have a "kidney" operation.