MELANIA Trump was loudly booed today by some sections of a youth summit in Baltimore, a city her husband called “a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.”
The first lady was heckled when she took the stage and again after her closing remarks at the B’More Youth Summit on Opioid Awareness, The Associated Press reports.
But despite the rough treatment, she later defended the students’ right to boo her, saying: “We live in a democracy.”
She was appearing in Maryland on behalf of her Be Best initiative, a public awareness campaign focused on advocating against online harassment and drug use.
The audience of middle and high school students talked over her throughout the five-minute address.
She encouraged students to stay drug-free in order to achieve their goals and urged anyone who’s currently struggling with addiction to seek help.
“I am in this fight with you and I am fighting for you,” she added.
Despite the cold reception, Melania was unfaltering as she smiled and waved to the crowd.
“Thank you to all the students who are here. I am so proud of you for the bravery it takes to share that you have been strongly affected by the opioid epidemic in some way,” she said loudly above the persistent chatter.
And speaking after the event she defended the unruly behavior, saying: “We live in a democracy and everyone is entitled to their opinion, but the fact is we have a serious crisis in our country and I remain committed to educating children on the dangers and deadly consequences of drug abuse.”
Melania’s husband, President Donald Trump, has had a fraught relationship with Baltimore.
The commander-in-chief said that residents of Maryland’s most populous city are “living in hell” and called the “filthy, dirty” city’s politics “corrupt” during a press conference in July.
That same month, he disparaged the late Democratic congressman Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Baltimore native who represented the city’s 7th district for nearly a quarter century, in a series of tweets.
“Rep, [sic] Elijah Cummings has been a brutal bully, shouting and screaming at the great men & women of Border Patrol about conditions at the Southern Border, when actually his Baltimore district is FAR WORSE and more dangerous,” he wrote.
Like his wife, Trump received an equally unfriendly reception when he attended Game 5 of the 2019 World Series in October.
He drew resounding boos and jeers when he was introduced to the crowd at Nationals Park during the third inning of the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals game.
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Chants of “Lock him up!” rang throughout some sections of the crowd, while others held up disparaging banners and signs calling for his impeachment.
However, Trump remained steadfastly indifferent as he continued to enjoy the baseball game before departing with Melania in the middle of the eighth inning.
The president’s staff has long tried to shield him from events where he might be loudly heckled, and he has yet to explore the neighborhoods of the predominantly Democratic city.