On the eve of their first official trip to Asia, US president Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have stopped off in Hawaii. The couple landed at Joint Base Pearl Harbour-Hickam, and were greeted by those assembled at the military base near Honolulu.
In addition to the gathered Trump supporters, there were hundreds of protestors; an unsurprising addition, since Hawaii was the state with the lowest electoral support for Trump during the election.
But the president and first lady weren’t to be deterred by the crowds of protestors, instead donning leis and posing for photos with local children.
Melania’s official FLOTUS Instagram account now bears a collection of photos, including her hugging a young girl, being gifted with her lei, and walking beside her husband with a big smile.
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Melania wore a simple creamy-white dress sleeveless dress with a delicately-plunging neckline that seemed chosen especially for the purpose of complementing the lei she would be given upon arrival.
Contrasting the neutral tone of the dress, Melania had the outfit cinched at her waist with a thin black belt. Snake-print stiletto heels and a pair of her trademark oversized sunglasses completed the look.
Trump made sure to keep the public up-to-date with his movements, even while in the air.
“Getting ready to land in Hawaii,” he tweeted mid-flight. “Looking so much forward to meeting with our great Military/Veterans at Pearl Harbor!”
Getting ready to land in Hawaii. Looking so much forward to meeting with our great Military/Veterans at Pearl Harbor!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 3, 2017
He also thanked the state for a “beautiful welcome”, posting a video of some of the highlights of his brief trip to his social media channel.
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As part of their first trip to Hawaii since the election, the president and first lady visited the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu. At the site, which is dedicated to the attack that would bring the United States into the thick of World War II, the president and first lady laid a wreath and threw flowers to honour the fallen.
President Trump will meet with the governors of Alaska, Hawaii and Pacific US territories before continuing to Asia for an 11-day journey.