First lady Melania Trump will embark on a major solo international trip to several African countries in October.
“This will be my first time traveling to Africa and I am excited to educate myself on the issues facing children throughout the continent, while also learning about its rich culture and history,” Trump said in a statement shared with the Washington Examiner. “We are a global society and I believe it is through open dialogue and the exchanging of ideas that we have a real opportunity to learn from one another.”
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Details regarding the tour are still to be announced, including specific dates and which countries will be added to the itinerary. The announcement follows President Trump reportedly calling some African nations “shithole” countries in January during a White House meeting about immigration with Senate lawmakers.
Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s communications director, said Melania Trump is drawn to the African continent because she is interested in the region’s many development programs, such as those focusing on children’s health and education, according to the Associated Press.
While the first lady has joined the president overseas on a number of occasions, her only other solo foreign visit was to Toronto, Canada, in September in order to support Britain’s Prince Harry’s Invictus Games initiative for injured or sick military personnel and veterans.
