Melania Trump to emerge after weeks out of spotlight, but will skip summits

First lady on schedule to appear at White House event in first public showing since before surgery in mid-May, won’t accompany president to G7, North Korea meetings

WASHINGTON — First lady Melania Trump isn’t joining her husband at the G7 summit in Quebec this week or planning to accompany him to the expected meeting with North Korea’s leader in Singapore the week after, spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said Sunday.

US President Donald Trump’s wife hasn’t made a public appearance since before her five-day hospital stay in mid-May for treatment of a kidney condition the White House only described as benign. However she is expected to appear before the public for the first time since then on Monday at a reception for families of soldiers killed in the line of duty, the White House said Sunday.

The event is to be closed to the press, but the White House normally distributes photos and videos from such receptions.

Mrs. Trump’s decision not to go to Quebec is a departure from last year, when she made an international summit debut at the G7 meeting in Italy and followed up at the forum of G20 industrialized and developing nations in Germany.

Spouses typically get together at events of their own during the meetings of world leaders.

The White House has sought to downplay questions about Melania Trump’s whereabouts, but more eyebrows were raised Friday when she stayed behind while the president, his daughters, eldest son and son-in-law went to the Camp David retreat for the weekend.

I see the media is working overtime speculating where I am & what I'm doing. Rest assured, I'm here at the @WhiteHouse w my family, feeling great, & working hard on behalf of children & the American people!

— Melania Trump 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) May 30, 2018

Grisham said earlier that the first lady has been meeting with staff and working on projects.

“She will not attend the G7 and there are no plans for her to travel to Singapore at this time,” Grisham told AP.

The G7 summit will be held in Quebec on Friday and Saturday. The president plans to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12 in Singapore, the first leaders’ summit between two countries that are still formally at war.