--- title: Melania Trump First Solo First Lady Appearance Hospital description: Find out what happened during Melania Trump's first solo appearance as first lady. canonical: https://time.com/4690008/melania-trump-first-lady-solo-appearance/ author: Samantha Cooney article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-03-03T16:40:15.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T07:19:10.340Z og:title: Melania Trump Makes Her First Solo Appearance as First Lady og:description: Accompanied by Dr. Seuss og:url: https://time.com/4690008/melania-trump-first-lady-solo-appearance/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt989ea8d306c368a3/6988bcdf656a3f66c3bcf02e/melania-trump-first-lady-appearance.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 og:image:alt: President Trump Meets With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu At The White House og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Melania Trump Makes Her First Solo Appearance as First Lady twitter:description: Accompanied by Dr. Seuss twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt989ea8d306c368a3/6988bcdf656a3f66c3bcf02e/melania-trump-first-lady-appearance.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Melania Trump Makes Her First Solo Appearance as First Lady > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=124d2377-0c66-4c42-95d0-9805640744cc&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Melania Trump Makes Her First Solo Appearance as First Lady [Watch (HLS stream): Melania Trump Makes Her First Solo Appearance as First Lady](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/d4AY4Cum.m3u8) (1:25)  _Published 2017-03-03. Melania Trump made her first solo appearance as first lady at a Manhattan hospital._  by [Samantha Cooney](https://time.com/author/samantha-cooney/)  ## Samantha Cooney Mar 3, 2017 4:40 PM UTC Melania Trump made her first solo appearance as first lady at a Manhattan hospital.  by [Samantha Cooney](https://time.com/author/samantha-cooney/)  ## Samantha Cooney Mar 3, 2017 4:40 PM UTC [Melania Trump](http://motto.time.com/4684155/melania-trump-white-house-governors-ball/?iid=sr-link1) made her first solo appearance as first lady at a Manhattan hospital, where she read Dr. Seuss to sick children. [The New York _Times_ reported](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/02/us/politics/melania-trump-dr-seuss-children.html?%5Fr=0) that the First Lady visited the pediatric wing of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center on [National Read Across America Day](http://www.nea.org/grants/886.htm). She read Dr. Seuss’ _Oh, the Places You’ll Go,_ which she said was one of her favorite books. > [](https://twitter.com/FLOTUS/status/837417717133111297) “So you know what is today?” Trump said, according to the _Times_. “It’s a reading day. So I came to encourage you to read, and to think about what you want to achieve in life.” Trump, who has kept a [relatively low profile](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2017/02/01/melania-trump-hires-bush-vet-as-chief-of-staff/?utm%5Fterm=.9bac589249b5) since her husband took office, gave the book she read to one of the patients at the end of her visit. “I encourage you all to read a lot — to get educated,” she said. \[[The New York _Times_](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/02/us/politics/melania-trump-dr-seuss-children.html?%5Fr=0)\] ## Transcript What's your name? Danny. What is name? Danny. Danny [ INAUDIBLE ] you feeling good? Yes? We will read some books today. You know it? The Places You'll Go! Yes? So, This is one from my library, and, [ BLANK_AUDIO ] It's the book of the places ou will go. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] Congratulations. Today is your day. You're off to great places. You're off and away. You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any directions Must you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know, and you know are the guy who will decide where to go. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] You will look up and down streets, look them over with care. About some you will say, I won't choose to go there. 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