Melania Trump attends Ford’s Theatre gala

First lady Melania Trump attended a gala at Ford’s Theatre on Sunday evening, during which she made brief remarks.

Trump, who attended the event as honorary chairwoman of the gala, according to her spokeswoman, congratulated the recipients of the 2018 Lincoln Medal.

“I was honored to be part of such a special evening,” the first lady said in her remarks. “Tonight reminds all of us about the power the arts have in cultivating the American voice. Thank you to Ford’s Theatre Society for tonight, and your continued dedication to education and leadership in the arts — the impact they have on society is invaluable and something we will continue to cherish throughout time.”{mosads}

The appearance, which was first reported by CNN, comes after the first lady made her first public appearance in 26 days at a Federal Emergency Management Agency briefing.

Trump chose to stay away from the public spotlight after she was released from the hospital following a kidney procedure.

Speculation about her whereabouts led President Trump to lash out at the “unfair” and “vicious” media coverage of her.

The Fake News Media has been so unfair, and vicious, to my wife and our great First Lady, Melania. During her recovery from surgery they reported everything from near death, to facelift, to left the W.H. (and me) for N.Y. or Virginia, to abuse. All Fake, she is doing really well!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2018

President Trump and the first lady attended the gala last year but Trump missed this year’s event, as he is currently in Singapore for the upcoming summit with North Korea that will take place on June 12.