While the rest of us were watching the Oscars, Melania Trump was hosting the black-tie Governors Ball, the White House's first social event of the year. And despite the fact that she made a concerted effort to keep politics out of the spotlight, the president had other plans.
Melania chose "Spring Renewal" as the theme for the evening, and in a statement before the ball, she said, "Tonight, we come together as one nation, leaving political labels and partisan interests behind."
That message was undercut when the President Trump tweeted shortly after the statement's release that there was "much to be discussed, including healthcare" at the soirée. And that's exactly what POTUS did: During his speech, he said that his administration had achieved "almost everything we've started out to accomplish—the borders are stricter, tighter" and went on to say "[Obamacare] doesn't work."
He also bragged about the crowd size at the ball, claiming the 46 assembled governors amounted to a record, and joked with the holders of each state's highest office about "what easy jobs [they] have."
But perhaps the most notable moment came when Trump greeted his guests, welcoming the governors and their "wives" and "daughters." The president was immediately flogged on Twitter for seeming to forget that women are governors too:
Trump says, "Thank you to the governors...and their wives and daughters..." are there no female governors???February 27, 2017
@realDonaldTrump @POTUS Not all the governors are men Mr President. Why only mention wives and daughters. What about husbands and sons?February 27, 2017
The Governors Ball traditionally marks the first lady's debut as the social host of the White House. Melania, who has spent little time in Washington, has appeared to shun most of the typical duties of the first lady, the Washington Post reported. But White House press secretary Sean Spicer said earlier this week that the first lady "has put a lot of time into this event."
Watch Trump's opening remarks here:
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