Trump's MAGA ladies steal the show during grand Middle East tour.... with one notable absence
No Melania, no problem.
Without the first lady on President Donald Trump 's Middle East trip the women of Trumpworld have been stealing the show.
On Wednesday night the president had White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and longtime aide Margo Martin accompany him in the Beast to the state dinner hosted by Qatar 's Emir Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani at the opulent Lusail Palace.
Leavitt wore a violet caped dress, while Martin sported a black pantsuit and big heels.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles went with a light yellow blazer.
There were questions ahead of the trip about whether women in Trump's entourage would cover their heads in Saudi Arabia - the first stop of the three country tour.
Trump had been critical in 2015 when then first lady Michelle Obama didn't wear a headscarf.
'Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted,' Trump tweeted at the time. 'We have enuf enemies.'
But two years later in 2017 during their last trip to the region, first lady Melania Trump also opted for a more western-look.
That's been the case on this week's trip as well - as Trump has yet to tour any Muslim religious sites, in which it would be appropriate for women to cover their heads.
On Tuesday, during meetings with Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman or 'MBS,' Wiles left her silver bob uncovered, and wore a baby blue oversized blazer over a conservative black top, black slacks and pointed black block heels.
Leavitt also went with pastels - wearing a shiny mint green pantsuit as she bustled alongside the president, Cabinet secretaries, top aides and the White House press at the Royal Court.
Martin, who serves as a special assistant and communications adviser to the president, shared a picture of her look on her Instagram page.
She chose a baby blue pantsuit over a white top - and posed in front of a sign boasting the name of the Saudi capital.
On Wednesday, Leavitt was spotted in a grey pantsuit during daytime meetings with the emir.
Qatar's dress code is less restrictive than Saudi Arabia's and Saudi has loosened up - especially for western women - in recent years.
In 2018, MBS proclaimed that women no longer had to wear a hijab and an abaya by law, unless visiting religious sites.
During the 2017 trip to Saudi, Melania Trump didn't visit a mosque, where the first lady would have needed to cover her head to be culturally appropriate.
However, Ivanka Trump visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi during a trip to the United Arab Emirates in February 2020 and wore a head covering.
The president heads to Abu Dhabi on Thursday - and could follow suit.
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Lebanon aims to lure back wealthy Gulf tourists to jumpstart its war-torn economy
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Now, after last year's bruising war with Israel, Hezbollah is much weaker and Lebanon's new political leaders sense an opportunity to revitalize the economy once again with help from wealthy neighbors. They aim to disarm Hezbollah and rekindle ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, which in recent years have prohibited their citizens from visiting Lebanon or importing its products. 'Tourism is a big catalyst, and so it's very important that the bans get lifted,' said Laura Khazen Lahoud, the country's tourism minister. On the highway leading to the Beirut airport, once-ubiquitous banners touting Hezbollah's leadership have been replaced with commercial billboards and posters that read 'a new era for Lebanon.' In the center of Beirut, and especially in neighborhoods that hope to attract tourists, political posters are coming down, and police and army patrols are on the rise. There are signs of thawing relations with some Gulf neighbors. The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have lifted yearslong travel bans. All eyes are now on Saudi Arabia, a regional political and economic powerhouse, to see if it will follow suit, according to Lahoud and other Lebanese officials. A key sticking point is security, these officials say. Although a ceasefire with Israel has been in place since November, near-daily airstrikes have continued in southern and eastern Lebanon, where Hezbollah over the years had built its political base and powerful military arsenal. Tourism as a diplomatic and economic bridge As vital as tourism is — it accounted for almost 20% of Lebanon's economy before it tanked in 2019 — the country's leaders say it is just one piece of a larger puzzle they are trying to put back together. Lebanon's agricultural and industrial sectors are in shambles, suffering a major blow in 2021, when Saudi Arabia banned their exports after accusing Hezbollah of smuggling drugs into Riyadh. Years of economic dysfunction have left the country's once-thriving middle class in a state of desperation. The World Bank says poverty nearly tripled in Lebanon over the past decade, affecting close to half its population of nearly 6 million. To make matters worse, inflation is soaring, with the Lebanese pound losing 90% of its value, and many families lost their savings when banks collapsed. Tourism is seen by Lebanon's leaders as the best way to kickstart the reconciliation needed with Gulf countries -- and only then can they move on to exports and other economic growth opportunities. 'It's the thing that makes most sense, because that's all Lebanon can sell now,' said Sami Zoughaib, research manager at The Policy Initiative, a Beirut-based think tank. With summer still weeks away, flights to Lebanon are already packed with expats and locals from countries that overturned their travel bans, and hotels say bookings have been brisk. At the event hosted last month by the tourism ministry, the owner of the St. Georges Hotel, Fady El-Khoury, beamed. The hotel, owned by his father in its heyday, has acutely felt Lebanon's ups and downs over the decades, closing and reopening multiple times because of wars. 'I have a feeling that the country is coming back after 50 years,' he said. On a recent weekend, as people crammed the beaches of the northern city of Batroun, and jet skis whizzed along the Mediterranean, local business people sounded optimistic that the country was on the right path. 'We are happy, and everyone here is happy,' said Jad Nasr, co-owner of a private beach club. 'After years of being boycotted by the Arabs and our brothers in the Gulf, we expect this year for us to always be full.' Still, tourism is not a panacea for Lebanon's economy, which for decades has suffered from rampant corruption and waste. 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The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Conference to recognise Palestinian state to weaken scope of its ambition, diplomats say
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Israel has fought hard to prevent stateless Palestinians achieving self-determination. Polls show only a fifth of the Israel electorate favour a two-state solution and 56% of Jewish Israelis supported the 'transfer of Arab citizens of Israel to other countries'. Israel has also approved plans to build a further 22 settlements in the West Bank – the biggest expansion in decades. Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, said it was 'a strategic move that prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state'. Macron's initiative has been described as 'disastrous' by the Israel's ambassador to France, Joshua Zarka. Recognition of a Palestinian state was previously seen as an outcome of a failed 1990s-era two-state plan. However, governments in Europe increasingly doubt Israel has any intention to ease its control over Palestinians and see recognition as a possible lever to force a change of thinking among Israeli officials. Ireland, Spain and Norway recognised a Palestinian state last year. 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Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Mother-of-four's warning to holidaymakers after husband is jailed for 10 YEARS after visiting popular tourist destination
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