WSJ: Melania Trump Took 21 Flights, At Cost Of $675K, Before Moving To WH

US President Donald Trump (R) and First Lady Melania Trump (L) arrive at the Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul on November 7, 2017. Trump's marathon Asia tour moves to South Korea, another key ally in the s... US President Donald Trump (R) and First Lady Melania Trump (L) arrive at the Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul on November 7, 2017. Trump's marathon Asia tour moves to South Korea, another key ally in the struggle with nuclear-armed North Korea, but one with deep reservations about the US president's strategy for dealing with the crisis. / AFP PHOTO / SONG Kyung-Seok / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by SONG Kyung-Seok has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [November] instead of [September]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo credit should read SONG KYUNG-SEOK/AFP/Getty Images) MORE LESS

January 29, 2018 10:23 a.m.

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Before moving to the White House last June, first lady Melania Trump took a total of 21 flights on Air Force planes, at the cost of $675,000, according to military records obtained by The Wall Street Journal.

Between her husband’s inauguration and June 2017, Melania Trump stayed in New York City so that her son Barron Trump could finish fifth grade.

“It is no secret that Mrs. Trump lived in New York City the first few months of the administration so that her son could finish school. The trips mentioned in this story are examples of Mrs. Trump juggling dual roles—putting her son first while also fulfilling some of her duties as First Lady,” Trump’s spokeswoman told the Journal.

While the cost of private travel for the first lady is currently double what former first lady Michelle Obama spent in a year, Melania Trump’s private trips between New York, Washington, D.C. and Florida were short lived, since she moved to the White House in June.

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Nicole Lafond (@Nicole_Lafond) is TPM’s deputy editor, based in New York. She has also worked as the special projects editor and as a senior newswriter for TPM. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and previously covered education in central Illinois.

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Notable Replies

squirreltown says:

January 29, 2018

…while also fulfilling some of her duties as First Lady,” Trump’s spokeswoman told the Journal.

Dare you to name one.
maximus says:

January 29, 2018

squirreltown:

Dare you to name one.

Somebody told her if she got enough frequent flier miles, she could trade them for a valid green card…
maximus says:

January 29, 2018

squirreltown:

Dare you to name one.

Auditioning new security protocols and uniforms for Secret Service / TSA?
unit44 says:

January 29, 2018

Waste, fraud,and abuse!
irasdad says:

January 29, 2018

squirreltown:

…while also fulfilling some of her duties as First Lady,” Trump’s spokeswoman told the Journal.

Dare you to name one.

Plastering on fake smiles, slapping away her husband’s paw, and passing encrypted messages to her handler?