The visit to Washington Friday by Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe will be the second time President Donald Trump has sat down with the Japanese leader. The first was in November at Trump Tower, just 10 days after Trump’s win and before he took the oath of office.
But it will be a first for Abe’s wife, Akie, and first lady Melania Trump, who would traditionally play hostess to the spouse of the foreign leader, though the White House has yet to confirm if this will be the case.
Late Thursday night, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer tweeted that Melania Trump would welcome the Abes to Washington, but did not elaborate.
The task of entertaining the wife or husband of a dignitary falls to the first lady, often in the form of visiting schools, or cultural monuments or having a luncheon or other small social event.
For Melania Trump, should she be Akie Abe’s escort for the day in Washington, this will be the first time since the inauguration that her role as first lady will be on public display.
She could choose to take a cue from her predecessor, Michelle Obama, who was a frequent partner to the wives’ of leaders her husband was busy meeting with in the West Wing.
Here she is last October, with then-Italy Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s wife, Agnese Landini — one of the final visits of a foreign leader to the Obama White House:
Michelle Obama gave her a tour of the White House Kitchen Garden, and they watched some schoolchildren give a quick performance.
In August, it was Michelle Obama’s turn to treat Singapore’s first lady, Ho Ching, to a visit to the National Gallery of Art and learn some fun facts, like this portrait, the last of Abraham Lincoln before he grew his famous beard.
They also watched some schoolchildren perform, at one point getting up to dance with them to the song “Lean on Me.”
She pulled even more weight last May, taking the five spouses of the Nordic leaders, who were in town for a summit with President Barack Obama, to the colorful exhibition at Washington’s Renwick Gallery.
Guess what? They also watched some students perform:
Big thumbs up:
Michelle Obama has hosted Akie Abe, too. It was back in April of 2015. They went to Great Falls, Virginia, to visit … schoolchildren.
What Michelle Obama did not ever have was a private beachfront club at her disposal, whereas Melania Trump has that in Mar-a-Lago. Laura Bush didn’t have Mar-a-Lago, but she did have a ranch in Crawford, Texas.
And if Melania Trump entertains Akie Abe in Florida over the weekend — the Abes are scheduled Friday afternoon to fly down to Mar-a-Lago as guests of the President — she could to look to Bush, who in 2004 hosted then-Mexico President Vicente Fox and his wife, Marta Sahagun de Fox. The first couple of Mexico made a visit to the Bush family’s ranch, where they went hiking.
And walked in front of Bush’s pickup truck.
Laura Bush also had some time with Akie Abe; in 2007, during a visit by Prime Minister Abe to the White House, the first lady took her on tour of Mount Vernon. There were, however, no schoolchildren.
Though there was a giant head of George Washington to pose in front of for a photo op.