Melania Trump underwent kidney surgery on Monday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. According to a statement from her office, the First Lady has been experiencing an issue with her kidney that was benign.
“This morning, first lady Melania Trump underwent an embolization procedure to treat a benign kidney condition. The procedure was successful, and there were no complications,” Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement.
“Mrs. Trump is at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and will likely remain there for the duration of the week. The first lady looks forward to a full recovery so she can continue her work on behalf of children everywhere,” Grisham wrote.
The president remained at the White House during the surgery. Trump tweeted just after 5pm on Monday that he was headed to the hospital to visit Melania.
Trump Tweets Thank You to Well-Wishers
“Heading over to Walter Reed Medical Center to see our great First Lady, Melania. Successful procedure, she is in good spirits. Thank you to all of the well-wishers!” Trump tweeted.
Melania Trump (48) is the first wife of a president to undergo such a serious medial procedure while in the White House since Nancy Reagan had a mastectomy in 1987. Rosalynn Carter had a surgery to remove a benign lump from her breast in 1977. And Betty Ford had a mastectomy in 1974.
On May 7, Trump was in the public eye to unveil her formal platform: “Be Best.” She has remained much more private than her predecessors. But she initiated her platform with a Rose Garden speech that lasted 11 minutes.
Be Best is a three-pronged platform with a focus on opioid addiction and families, general physical and emotional well-being of children, and kindness and safety for kids using social media.
The 3rd prong on kindness in social media caused an uproar. Hence many criticized the focus on cyberbullying because the president has been accused of fueling the fire on this issue.
Melania Addresses Criticism
Melania address the criticism saying, “I am well-aware that people are skeptical of me discussing this topic,” she said. “I have been criticized for my commitment to tackling this issue, and I know that will continue. But it will not stop me from doing what I know is right.”
President Trump referenced the first lady recently, “She’s become a very, very popular first lady. I’m reading that … They love Melania,” the President said. A new CNN poll released May 7 had the first lady’s favorable rating up 10 points since January to 57%.
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