Melania Trump shields her eyes with dark shades and dons a somber navy dress as she and Donald travel to Dayton and El Paso to meet people affected by the mass shootings
- Melania, 49, traveled to Dayton, Ohio, with President Donald Trump, 73, on Wednesday following the mass shooting that took place over the weekend
- Connor Betts opened fire in Dayton’s Oregon district early Sunday, killing nine people, including his 22-year-old sister, before officers fatally shot him
- The first lady donned a $795 navy midi dress by Sportmax and matching heels
- Melania shielded her eyes with a pair of black-frame sunglasses
- The couple headed to Miami Valley Hospital to thank first responders and hospital staff, as well as meet with victims and their families
- Later Wednesday, the Trumps will travel to El Paso, Texas, the site of the other weekend mass shooting
Melania Trump opted for a somber navy ensemble to travel to Dayton, Ohio, with President Donald Trump on Wednesday to meet with people who were affected by the mass shooting that took place over the weekend.
The 49-year-old first lady donned a $795 sleeveless midi dress by Sportmax, which she paired with matching navy heels. The simple yet elegant crepe frock had a minimalist design aside for a bit of ruching in the front.
Melania shielded her eyes with a pair of dark black-frame sunglasses as she made her way to Marine One on the White House South Lawn. She wore them throughout her travels, including when they landed at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Green County, Ohio.
A city in mourning: Melania Trump donned a $795 sleeveless midi dress by Sportmax and matching heels to travel with President Donald Trump to Dayton, Ohio, on Wednesday
United front: The president and first lady were visiting Dayton to meet with people who were affected by the mass shooting that took place early Sunday morning
Style: Melania’s simple yet elegant midi dress was sleeveless and a dark shade of navy blue
The former model’s navy dress matched Trump’s navy suit, which he paired with a long red tie.
She wore her long highlighted brown hair loose around her shoulders in its signature style, and she walked close to her husband as they made their way to Marine One, though they didn’t hold hands.
After a short helicopter flight, they landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland where they boarded Air Force One together.
Melania led the way up the steps of the aircraft while her husband followed close behind. They paused before they stepped inside and waved to the people down below.
They walked side by side when they stepped off Air Force One in Ohio on Wednesday morning.
The president’s arrival in Dayton was met with protests, as several hundred demonstrators lined the streets and chanted ‘Do Something!’ — the city’s anti-gun rallying cry since the shooting.
Connor Betts opened fire in Dayton’s Oregon district early Sunday morning, killing nine people, including his 22-year-old sister, before officers fatally shot him within 30 seconds of the start of his rampage.
During their visit, the president and first lady headed Miami Valley Hospital, where many of the victims of Sunday’s attack were treated, to thank first responders and hospital staff, as well as meet with victims and their families.
At least 200 protesters have gathered outside the hospital hoping to send a message to the president that he’s not welcome in the city.
Later Wednesday, the Trumps will travel to El Paso, Texas, the site of the other weekend mass shooting.
Departure: Trump waved to the people down below while Melania gazed off into the distance
Waving goodbye: Melania briefly raised her hand to wave to the crowd before stepping inside the aircraft
Arrival: The couple landed at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Green County, Ohio, before they made their way to Dayton
The mayors of both cities have called for the president to change the way he talks about immigrants, while Democrats vying to challenge Trump in the 2020 election have been nearly unanimous in excoriating Trump for rhetoric they say nurtured the racist attitudes of the El Paso shooter.
The suspect, Patrick Crusius, left behind a 2,300-word manifesto that raged about the ‘Hispanic invasion of Texas,’ which was posted online minutes before the shooting at a Wal-Mart in the Southern border city on Saturday that left 22 people dead.
Before traveling to Dayton on Wednesday, Trump complained the ‘fake news’ ignored ties the suspected mass shooter from Dayton had to liberal presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
A Twitter account believed to be owned by Betts, the 24-year-old accused of killing nine people and injuring 27 in Dayton on Sunday, had tweeted supportive messages for Warren and Sanders, in addition to promoting content from ANTIFA, a left-wing, militant, anti-fascist group.
Trump attempted to link Sanders and Warren to him on Wednesday, claiming that a Dayton mass shooter ‘supported’ the left-wing politicians who are competing for the presidency, while deflecting from charges that his own, fiery rhetoric encouraged an El Paso mass murderer.
Gripping the railing: The couple did not hold hands as they walked off Air Force One together
Shielding her eyes: Melania had her shades on when they arrived in Ohio
Saying hello: They were greeted by Republican Congressman Mike Turner from Ohio and his daughter Jessica Turner
Grieving city: Demonstrators protested Trump’s visit to the site of the mass shooting
‘If you look at Dayton, that was a person who supported, I guess you would say, Bernie Sanders I understood, Antifa I understood, Elizabeth Warren I understood. Had nothing to do with President Trump,’ he argued on the South Lawn of the White House as he prepared to leave for the Ohio city.
Trump claimed that Sanders, Warren and other unnamed Democrats who are ‘low in the polls’ were trying to score political points by calling him a racist and associating him with mentally-ill shooters.
‘These are people that are looking for political gain. I don’t think they’re getting it, and as much as possible I’ve tried to stay out of that,’ he added, seconds after he levied the searing attack in which he’d bashed Warren and Sanders by name.
Minutes later, he said: ‘I would like to stay out of the political fray. As I was saying and just came out, the Dayton situation, he was a fan of ANITFA. He was a fan of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Nothing to do with Trump, but nobody ever mentions that. No, I don’t blame Elizabeth Warren and I don’t blame Bernie Sanders in the case of Ohio.’
No motive has been established behind the shooting in Dayton, unlike Saturday’s incident in El Paso.
Trump denied on Wednesday that he was inspiring killers, however, saying to reporters, ‘I think my rhetoric is a very, it brings people together. Our country is doing incredibly well.’
‘I am concerned about the rise of any group of hate. I don’t like it. Any group of hate, whether it’s white supremacy, whether it’s any other kind of supremacy, whether it’s Antifa, whether it’s any group of hate, I am very concerned about it and I’ll do something about it,’ he said after a reporter asked him about white nationalism.
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