Melania Trump at RNC in 2017
Why Melania Trump's Presence At Rosalynn Carter's Funeral Service Was So Significant
Lifestyle News
By M. DAVIS-MCAFEE
Melania Trump, not known for conforming to protocol, surprised many by attending former first lady Rosalynn Carter’s memorial service in November 2023.
First ladies are expected to attend such ceremonies, and Trump obliged in 2018 for Barbara Bush’s memorial. However, it’s now been three years since her FLOTUS duties ended.
Perhaps Trump perceives a bond with Carter over their defiance of the "tea and tour" ritual wherein the sitting first lady gives her successor a tour of the presidential estate.
In 2021, Trump refused to show Jill Biden around. Carter’s reaction to Nancy Reagan in 1981 was more muted: She omitted the presidential bedroom and study from the tour.
Although The Washington Post reported the 2016 tea and tour between Michelle Obama and Melania Trump as "awkward," it did occur.