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Melania Trump graced the Governor’s Dinner, walking alongside President Donald Trump, in a week fraught with challenges for the administration.
The first lady made her entrance in a dazzling silver ensemble paired with a chic black tie-front top, while President Trump was dressed in a traditional tuxedo.
However, the evening’s splendor was overshadowed by underlying tensions.
Several Democrats had declared their intent to skip the Saturday event if their colleagues were excluded from the National Governors Association meeting on Friday.
In the midst of disputes with Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Trump initially revoked their invitations but later reinstated them, standing firm in his decisions.
Despite Moore’s eventual attendance, governors, including Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, announced that they would not be in attendance Saturday night.
‘Trump has made this whole thing a farce,’ she said.
Others have reportedly opted to attend an alternative event.
Melania and Donald Trump arrived hand in hand to the White House Governors’ Dinner
Melania wore glistening silver pants and a black tie-front top
Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance arrived at the dinner
JD Vance addressed the guests at the start of the Governors’ Dinner
The president addressed his guests before US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said a prayer over the dinner.
He said the room was full of ‘many, many friends and very competent people.’
‘We’ve transformed stagnation into growth, weakness into strength and chaos into order, liberty and justice,’ he said.
Trump claimed that in just one year, his administration had tackled inflation and crime and garnered worldwide respect.
The president then introduced Hegseth.
‘We have a great leader, a great military leader named Pete Hegseth and he is going to say grace,’ said Trump.
‘He is a man who turned out to be absolutely fantastic at what he does and you know what he does…
‘He’s turned out to be an incredible inspiration to the men and women in our military.’
Hegseth prayed for the president’s ‘safety’ and ‘wisdom’ to kick off the glamorous evening.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the blessing prior to the high-profile dinner
Hegseth prayed for the president and the military as he helped kick off the dinner
‘We pray for our president, President Trump. Give him safety, give him wisdom. Lord, we pray for our vice president, our first lady, our second lady, the cabinet members here, all the governors assembled here as well, our civil magistrates,’ he said.
‘I would be remiss if I did not pray for our great troops, our men and women all around the globe, defending our great nation as they have for 250 years. Lord God watch over them and protect them.’
Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, arrived at the dinner in black as Vance addressed guests.
It comes as the president endured a major blow from the Supreme Court this week when it struck down his sweeping tariff policy on Friday.
The justices were divided six to three on the issue, ruling that his policy was not allowed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott was in attendance, as Trump acknowledged him in his address to guests
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy was among those in attendance at the Governor’s Dinner
Trump appointees Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch were among those who voted against him.
In response, Trump called the justices who voted against him ‘very unpatriotic’ and publicly fired at them on Truth Social.
‘What happened today with the two United States Supreme Court Justices that I appointed against great opposition, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, whether people like it or not, never seems to happen with Democrats,’ he wrote.
‘They vote against the Republicans, and never against themselves, almost every single time, no matter how good a case we have.’