Melania Trump Gets Standing Ovation at International Women’s Day Lunch

Melania and Ivanka Trump celebrated International Women’s Day on Wednesday by hosting an intimate lunch at the White House.

The annual observance has been celebrated worldwide since the early 1900s to acknowledge the cultural, economic, and political contributions made by women. In the United States, many are participating in #DayWithoutAWoman, a demonstration in which women don’t work or shop, to illustrate the global impact of women. The campaign was inspired by the Women’s March on Washington, held one day after President Trump’s inauguration.

The lunch, held for 50 people in the State Dining Room, is Melania’s first solo event as first lady. According to a story published by the Associated Press, the guests included Ivanka; Vice President Mike Pence’s wife, Karen Pence; White House counselor Kellyanne Conway; and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. They sat at tables adorned with purple tulips and sweet-pea flowers. Lunch included tomato mozzarella salad, thyme-brined chicken, spinach gnocchi, honeycrisp apple crostata, and a 2015 Pride Mountain Viognier (Sonoma County), CNN reported.

Melania entered the dining room to a standing ovation, wearing a black sleeveless dress. Ivanka chose a similar burgundy outfit (from designer Roksanda Ilincic that retails for $1,450) — both colors in contrast to red, the hue associated with the “Day Without a Woman” observance.

Little information was available on the topics discussed at the lunch because the press pool was dismissed shortly after Melania entered the dining room. However, Ivanka and President Trump tweeted their support for the day.

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