Latest news with #firstlady
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
From blind date to first lady: Kim Hye-kyung's journey with South Korea's president
In August 1990, Lee Jae-myung, a newly qualified lawyer, made the bold decision to marry one of the five women he had blind dates with in a single month. With the same determination that would later characterise his political career, Lee arranged the five blind dates. Kim Hye-kyung, his third match, has remained by his side ever since, standing beside him during Wednesday's inauguration. South Korea's new first lady was born into a middle-class family in Seoul in 1966. She graduated from Sunhwa Arts High School and studied piano at Sookmyung Women's University. She met Lee while preparing to study in Austria, but seven months later, those plans changed when she married him, launching a turbulent 35-year political journey. When Lee entered politics in the early 2000s, Kim initially opposed the move. But as she saw him drive change in the community and build public support as mayor of Seongnam, her opposition gave way to support. During his first presidential bid in 2017, she accompanied him on regional campaign stops and even appeared alongside him on entertainment programmes.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Inside Jill Biden's political rise amid her husband's cognitive decline: Book
Former President Joe Biden's inner circle considers first lady Jill Biden one of the most powerful first ladies in history, CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson reveal in their new book, "Original Sin." Jill Biden, who has a doctoral degree in education and whom White House staffers called "Dr. B" for short, was a reluctant political spouse in the early days of her husband's career. During his presidential campaigns and into his presidency, the first lady became his staunchest defender and a "political partner in addition to a spouse," Thompson and Tapper wrote. "Dr. B was a strong, protective force in the White House. She was also, without question, one of the chief supporters of the president's decision to run for reelection, and one of the chief deniers of his deterioration," the authors wrote. President Donald Trump's White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that Jill Biden should have to answer for her complicity in the "cover-up" of Biden's cognitive decline. Jill Biden Should Have To Answer For 'Cover-up' Of Former President's Decline, White House Says Leavitt pointed to how Jill Biden jumped in to defend her husband during their joint interview on "The View" this month as evidence the former first lady is still covering for her husband. Read On The Fox News App 'Intensely Loyal' Jill Biden Aide Despised By White House Staffers, New Book Claims As Biden's sister, Valerie "Val" Biden Owens, and his adult children, Hunter Biden and Ashley Biden, stayed away from Biden's 2020 presidential campaign, Jill Biden took on a more prominent role, the book revealed. "She weighed in on potential hires and reviewed many of the campaign ads before they were aired. She campaigned hard and peppered aides with questions about how many reporters would be at her events," Tapper and Thompson said. Jill Biden sat for job interviews for White House aide candidates, and she "kept score" of which staffers were most loyal, with the help of her most trusted aide, Anthony Bernal, the book revealed. The White House began referring to Jill Biden's "spousal programming" events on foreign trips, and her team would request talking points, which Tapper and Thompson said some national security officials found strange. "[Bernal] had already begun planning the first lady's 2025 international travel schedule," Tapper and Thompson said. The first lady made an off-hand comment to French President Emmanuel Macron at a state dinner in 2022 about the difficult nature of campaigns and how she needed to stay in shape. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's daughter, Alexandra, overheard and found it odd, according to "Original Sin." "Alexandra then turned to the president and asked if they should toast to another campaign. He looked back at her like he didn't understand. Alexandra thought her mom looked shocked. Everyone quickly gathered themselves. With Macron, they toasted to four more years," the authors said. Dr. B was particularly sensitive when asked about Biden's age and ability, according to the authors. After Biden's consequential debate performance in the summer of 2024, The Associated Press reported that Jill and Hunter Biden were urging the president to continue his re-election campaign. Sources told AP the family "questioned how he was prepared for the debate by staff and wondered if they could have done something better." "Hunter privately talked about it as being the family against the world. People sensed a more manic quality in him post-debate. He was determined to save his dad," according to Tapper and Thompson. Soon after the debate, Jill Biden joined Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., on the campaign trail. After defending the president's re-election campaign to reporters, Stabenow brought up some of her colleagues' concerns about Biden continuing in the race. Jill Biden Accused Of 'Elder Abuse' By Washington Post Columnist For Pushing Husband To Seek Re-election "The First Lady didn't answer the senator's implied question, but she later fumed about it to White House staffers," the book alleged. A week later, Gov. Josh Shapiro, from the pivotal battleground state of Pennsylvania, told the president, "I have some concerns." However, before Biden could fully respond, the first lady was ushering him away. "Jill fumed with resentment about all the Democrats who she considered friends now pushing Biden out. She knew she had blundered in the aftermath of the debate with her belittling praise. She was only trying to help her husband in his moment of need. In the end, she told Biden: 'This is your decision. This is for you to decide,'" according to the book. Fox News Digital has written extensively dating back to the 2020 presidential campaign about Biden's cognitive decline and his inner circle's alleged role in covering it up. A Biden spokesperson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for article source: Inside Jill Biden's political rise amid her husband's cognitive decline: Book
Fox News
4 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Inside Jill Biden's political rise amid her husband's cognitive decline: Book
Former President Joe Biden's inner circle considers first lady Jill Biden one of the most powerful first ladies in history, CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson reveal in their new book, "Original Sin." Jill Biden, a PhD whom White House staffers called "Dr. B" for short, was a reluctant political spouse in the early days of her husband's political career. During his presidential campaigns and into his presidency, the first lady became his staunchest defender and a "political partner in addition to a spouse," Thompson and Tapper wrote. "Dr. B was a strong, protective force in the White House. She was also, without question, one of the chief supporters of the president's decision to run for reelection, and one of the chief deniers of his deterioration," the authors wrote. President Donald Trump's White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that Jill Biden should have to answer for her complicity in the "cover-up" of Biden's cognitive decline. Leavitt pointed to how Jill Biden jumped in to defend her husband during their joint interview on "The View" this month as evidence the former first lady is still covering for her husband. As Biden's sister, Valerie "Val" Biden Owens, and his adult children, Hunter Biden and Ashley Biden, stayed away from Biden's 2020 presidential campaign, Jill Biden took on a more prominent role, the book revealed. "She weighed in on potential hires and reviewed many of the campaign ads before they were aired. She campaigned hard and peppered aides with questions about how many reporters would be at her events," Tapper and Thompson said. Jill Biden sat for job interviews for White House aide candidates, and she "kept score" of which staffers were most loyal, with the help of her most trusted aide, Anthony Bernal, the book revealed. The White House began referring to Jill Biden's "spousal programming" events on foreign trips, and her team would request talking points, which Tapper and Thompson said some national security officials found strange. "[Bernal] had already begun planning the first lady's 2025 international travel schedule," Tapper and Thompson said. The first lady made an off-hand comment to French President Emmanuel Macron at a state dinner in 2022 about the difficult nature of campaigns and how she needed to stay in shape. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's daughter, Alexandra, overheard and found it odd, according to "Original Sin." "Alexandra then turned to the president and asked if they should toast to another campaign. He looked back at her like he didn't understand. Alexandra thought her mom looked shocked. Everyone quickly gathered themselves. With Macron, they toasted to four more years," the authors said. Dr. B was particularly sensitive when asked about Biden's age and ability, according to the authors. After Biden's consequential debate performance in the summer of 2024, The Associated Press reported that Jill and Hunter Biden were urging the president to continue his re-election campaign. Sources told AP the family "questioned how he was prepared for the debate by staff and wondered if they could have done something better." "Hunter privately talked about it as being the family against the world. People sensed a more manic quality in him post-debate. He was determined to save his dad," according to Tapper and Thompson. Soon after the debate, Jill Biden joined Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., on the campaign trail. After defending the president's re-election campaign to reporters, Stabenow brought up some of her colleagues' concerns about Biden continuing in the race. "The First Lady didn't answer the senator's implied question, but she later fumed about it to White House staffers," the book alleged. A week later, Gov. Josh Shapiro, from the pivotal battleground state of Pennsylvania, told the president, "I have some concerns." However, before Biden could fully respond, the first lady was ushering him away. "Jill fumed with resentment about all the Democrats who she considered friends now pushing Biden out. She knew she had blundered in the aftermath of the debate with her belittling praise. She was only trying to help her husband in his moment of need. In the end, she told Biden: 'This is your decision. This is for you to decide,'" according to the book. Fox News Digital has written extensively dating back to the 2020 presidential campaign about Biden's cognitive decline and his inner circle's alleged role in covering it up. A Biden spokesperson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Washington Post
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Melania Trump hosts White House event commemorating Barbara Bush stamp
WASHINGTON — In the White House's East Room on a rainy Thursday, first lady Melania Trump and members of the Bush family gathered to unveil a U.S postage stamp bearing the portrait of former first lady Barbara Bush . Amid the anticipation of the unveiling, Trump, Bush's daughter Dorothy 'Doro' Bush Koch and Judy de Torok a vice president at United States Postal Service took turns sharing stories chronicling the former first lady's life and achievements.
New York Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump Administration Live Updates: U.K. Trade Deal Will Be Announced Thursday
The lights never seem to be on and the shutters stay shut. As the weeks pass by at the White House, the corner of the residence long used by first ladies remains dark, because this first lady does not really live in Washington. Melania Trump vanishes from view for weeks at a time, holing up in Trump Tower in Manhattan or in Florida, where she can lie low at Mar-a-Lago. Administration officials say she is at the White House more often than the public knows, but when exactly, and for how long, these officials will not (or perhaps cannot) say for certain. It's like having Greta Garbo as first lady. Mrs. Trump is expected to reappear in the capital on Thursday to unveil a postage stamp honoring Barbara Bush, the former first lady, and to attend a ceremony for military mothers. But two people with knowledge of Mrs. Trump's schedule said she had spent fewer than 14 days at the White House since her husband was inaugurated 108 days ago. Others say even that is a generous estimate. Officials in the East Wing and West Wing declined multiple requests for comment for this article. That the first lady's whereabouts is among the most sensitive of subjects in this White House only adds to the intrigue. 'We haven't seen such a low-profile first lady since Bess Truman, and that's going way back in living human memory, nearly 80 years ago,' said Katherine Jellison, a historian at Ohio University whose research has focused on first ladies. She said that, like Mrs. Trump, Mrs. Truman spent much of her time running back to 'her home base whenever she had the chance.' (In Mrs. Truman's case, that was Independence, Mo.) 'She just kind of liked her own private world,' Ms. Jellison said. The same is true of this first lady. She has hired staff to work for her in the East Wing, but she rarely goes into the office. Even regulars at Mar-a-Lago say they don't often see Mrs. Trump around the premises. Every marriage has its highs and lows, but as with so many other things, the Trumps are in a league of their own. In the span of just a few months last year, the couple endured a public trial about his philandering, two assassination attempts and a presidential campaign. The trial, which concerned hush money Donald J. Trump paid to a porn star, made for an especially challenging moment for the couple, two people with knowledge of their dynamic said. Mrs. Trump kept well away from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan and from the campaign that kicked into high gear in the weeks that followed. Image Melania Trump has appeared at just a handful of official events since her husband took office in January. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times The attempted assassination of her husband over the summer — and a subsequent incident in which a gunman got close to Mr. Trump on one of his golf courses — deeply spooked a woman who was already worried about her family's safety and had been for years, according to two people familiar with her thinking. The first time President Trump was inaugurated, in 2017, she was concerned about even getting out of the car to walk in the parade. At the White House this time around, Mr. Trump has taken to performing some duties that typically would fall to a first lady. She's not the one carefully selecting light fixtures for the White House residence, redesigning the Rose Garden, greeting tour groups in the East Wing or hosting receptions for Women's History Month. He is. It has been a decade since husband and wife rode that golden escalator down into national political life together. Now, he has come to a moment in which he finds himself flush with power and self-confidence like never before. And yet, as he expands, she shrinks. Mr. and Mrs. Trump do share one common approach to public office, though. They both know how to make money from the exposure. In January, Mrs. Trump launched her own cryptocurrency token. 'You can buy $MELANIA now,' she wrote on social media the day before her husband's second inauguration. And then there is the deal she struck with Amazon, reported to have been about $40 million, for a documentary offering a 'behind the scenes' look at her life as first lady. What might that show? It's hard to say, exactly. 'You serve the country' Mrs. Trump waited for months to move into the White House last time. But that was because her son was just 10, and his mother took the time she needed to arrange his schooling and the transition to a new city. Back then, Mrs. Trump's parents were omnipresent at the White House as she learned to navigate the role. Mrs. Trump's mother, Amalija Knavs, died in January 2024. These days, Mrs. Trump spends a lot of time with her father, Viktor. Barron Trump is 19 now. He is finishing his freshman year at New York University and is increasingly independent. Still, there is a part of Mrs. Trump that remains attached to the protective maternal role she has in his life, people around her say. 'You know, I feel that as children, we have them until they are like 18, 19 years old,' Mrs. Trump told Fox News in a rare interview she gave in January before the inauguration. 'We teach them. We guide them. And then we give them the wings to fly.' She was asked where she planned to spend most of her time this term. 'I will be in the White House,' she answered. 'And, you know, when I need to be in New York, I will be in New York. When I need to be in Palm Beach, I will be in Palm Beach. But my first priority is, you know, to be a mom, to be a first lady, to be a wife. And once we are in on Jan. 20, you serve the country.' Because Mrs. Trump is seldom seen or heard from, the times when she does appear provide a glimpse of how she sees her role. Some of her choices have been in line with traditional first lady duties — up to a point. She stood alongside her husband to preside over the White House Easter Egg Roll last month, but even that raised ethical and legal concerns after it was revealed that corporate sponsors were allowed to contribute. (All money raised was to go to the White House Historical Association, a private nonprofit educational organization founded by Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961.) Image Mrs. Trump at the White House Easter Egg Roll last month. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times Image Mrs. Trump attended a ceremony for the International Women of Courage awards at the State Department. Credit... Maansi Srivastava for The New York Times On April 1, she spoke at the State Department for the International Women of Courage awards, the first time she had been seen in public in Washington in weeks. At the White House, the first lady has hired her own staff in the East Wing. But what to do when the boss doesn't come into the office? 'We were honored to welcome these curious, young gardeners to the White House this past week!' reads the caption of one recent video posted to the 'FLOTUS' Instagram page. But FLOTUS herself does not appear in the video. It's not clear if she was even there. Film crews have been spotted around Mrs. Trump lately. But for the most part, the Amazon documentary about her life is, like its subject, shrouded in mystery. Documentary filmmakers and Hollywood executives say that the $40 million that Amazon is reported to have paid for the documentary, which Mrs. Trump is executive producing, is tens of millions of dollars more than what such projects would ordinarily fetch. Amazon declined multiple requests for comment for this article, as did the film's director, Brett Ratner. Just as Mrs. Trump's presence can make for an interesting sight, so too can her absence. When the first tour group was led through the East Wing, it was Mr. Trump who popped up to surprise them. 'The first lady worked very hard in making it perfect,' he told the group. But she was not there. During the first Trump term, Mrs. Trump replanted and restored the Rose Garden. This term, the president plans to pave over it to turn it into a patio so he can entertain al fresco. Mrs. Trump was initially bothered by her husband's plan, according to two people briefed on the matter. She has since been assured the rose bushes themselves will be left alone. She also came around to the idea of the ballroom that he is adamant about building at the White House — once she was told the construction wouldn't take place too close to the residence. One person who has known Mrs. Trump for a long time is Paolo Zampolli, a former modeling agent from Italy who first spotted her in Milan in the 1990s. The Trumps say it was Mr. Zampolli who introduced them for the first time, in 1998, at the Kit Kat Club in Manhattan. He refers to Mrs. Trump reverently as 'the lady.' Any persnickety questions about the lady's absence in Washington, he said, were unfounded. 'She loves the White House,' he insisted, 'and she loves the role of serving as our first lady.' When the president makes his big swing through the Middle East next week, to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the first lady is not expected to go with him. But she did accompany him to Vatican City for Pope Francis' funeral. When they landed back in Newark on a Saturday afternoon, it was Mrs. Trump's 55th birthday. The president gave her a kiss on the cheek. She got into a car, he climbed into Marine One, and they went their separate ways.
