First lady Melania Trump will attend the funeral of Barbara Bush, the former first lady she called “woman of strength,” the White House said.
WASHINGTON — First lady Melania Trump will attend the funeral of Barbara Bush, the former first lady she called “woman of strength,” the White House said.
The funeral will take place in Houston, where former president George H. W. Bush and his wife retired after their four years in the White House ended in 1993.
“Mrs. Trump intends to pay her respects to Barbara Bush and the entire family at the funeral on Saturday,” said Mrs. Trump’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham.
The White House did not say whether President Trump would also attend.
It’s customary for first ladies to attend the funerals of their predecessors, but presidents rarely do. President Barack Obama did not attend Nancy Reagan’s funeral in 2016, or Betty Ford’s in 2011.
In fact, the last sitting president to attend a first lady’s funeral was John F. Kennedy, who attended Eleanor Roosevelt’s funeral in 1962.
Mrs. Trump added her condolences to the many accolades for the iconic first lady, who died Tuesday at the age of 92.
“Our hearts are with the Bush family as we celebrate the life and mourn the loss of Barbara Bush,” Mrs. Trump said in a statement. “Throughout her life, she put family and country above all else. Her dedicated service to the American people was matched only by her compassion and love of family.
“She was a woman of strength and we will always remember her for her most important roles of wife, mother, and First Lady of the United States. My heartfelt condolences and prayers are with the Bush family as we honor her legacy.”
