With the Great Sphinx of Gaza looming in the background, first lady Melania Trump weighed in on a number of topics Saturday, including the media obsession with her wardrobe, Brett Kavanaugh's qualifications for the Supreme Court and her view of his chief accuser's testimony, as well as her confession that sometimes she lobbies the tweeter-in-chief to put down his phone. Trump spoke to reporters in Egypt at the end of a four-country trip to Africa. As reporters peppered her with questions, the first lady said she thinks Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is “highly qualified,” but she also had a positive take on his primary accuser, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, saying: “I’m glad Dr. Ford was heard.” Asked if she believed Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexual abusing her when they were teenagers, the first lady said, "I will move on that... I think we need to help all the victims .. I am against any kind of abuse or violence." On her view of her husband's sometimes sharp or derogatory comments, particularly on Twitter, she said, "I don't always agree what he tweets, and I give him my honest advice... It's very important that I express what I feel." Asked if she had ever asked the president to put down his phone, she said, with a smile: "Yes." On other topics, Trump said she wishes people would “focus on what I do, not what I wear." More:Melania Trump wears white pith helmet in Africa, Twitter slams the 'colonizer' look More:Twitter mocks Melania's outfit in Egypt, compares her to Michael Jackson, Carmen Sandiego More:Melania Trump's solo trip to Africa offers sharp contrast to President Trump's policies In the past, her clothing choice has sparked widespread comment, notably when she wore a coat emblazoned with the slogan "I really don't care, do u?" while boarding an Air Force plane to visit migrant children at the Texas-Mexico border in June. This week, some eyebrows were raised when she wore a pith helmet — a symbol of British colonial rule across Africa – during a brief safari in Kenya. Melania Trump’s solo trip to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt captivated international aid and global health advocates, who have otherwise watched in frustration as the Trump administration moved to defund and deprioritize longstanding American programs aimed at strengthening Africa and solidifying U.S. interests across the developing world. The message of the trip, she said, is: "We care — and we want to show the world we care." The African sojourn also follows sharp criticism of the president after he was quoted in an Oval Office meeting in January with several lawmakers as referring to Haiti, El Salvador and African countries as "s----thole countries" when discussing immigration. Asked if the report of Trump's comments came up during her trip, she said, "Nobody discussed that with me and I never heard him saying those comments, that was an anonymous source and I will leave it with that." Trump's visit to Cairo included a planned visit with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and his wife, first lady Entissar Mohameed Amer, and the visit to the pyramids to highlight U.S.-backed preservation efforts there. The U.S. Agency for International Development has been working with the Egyptian government for the past several years on a project to lower groundwater levels to prevent additional damage to the landmarks. Saline content in the water can erode their foundations.<doc-sep>Melania Trump is getting a lot of attention over a hat she wore during her visit to Africa this week – and not in a good way. The first lady is being criticized for wearing a white pith helmet, the style of which has historical links to colonial rule in Africa. Trump wore the helmet during a safari at the Nairobi National Park in Nairobi, Kenya, on Friday. People on social media were quick to draw comparisons between Trump's look and colonizer garb. "That colonial hat! Let them eat cake Melania," one Twitter user shared. "Colonizer outfit! What was she bloody thinking, showing up in Africa in this outfit. The photo on the left is from 1935," another tweeted. "The lack of understanding cultural norms, and mores baffles me. Melania Trump an her 'Be Best.'" "Melania thinks she’s Meryl Streep in Out of Africa," another tweeted. "Melania Trump went on a safari in Kenya wearing a pith helmet - a symbol of European colonial rule across Africa," one user tweeted with a face-palm emoji. "Ooh, I'm in Africa - let's play colonial dress-up! C R I N G E," another tweeted. "This is Melania Trump wearing a colonial hat in kenya..This represents the impearism of the west on Africa yet she chose it," another said. "Personally, I think the US First Lady's decision to wear a pith helmet is appropriate," another person said, before grilling the first lady's style choice. "The regime she's representing in Kenya is a white supremacist one whose policies & ideological grounding are a continuation of earlier forms of imperialism, represented by the pith helmet." This isn't the first time Trump has been discussed on social media for her style choices. In April, her white suit and hat combo earned her comparisons to Beyonce and Olivia Pope from "Scandal." More:First lady Melania Trump: Style Diary More:Melania Trump says Blue Room furniture has been restored and will be returned this fall<doc-sep>On her debut major solo international trip, first lady Melania Trump is headed on a five-day visit to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt to promote children’s welfare, highlight successful US humanitarian and development work, and focus on tourism and conservation efforts. By flying without the president, Melania Trump will be following in the footsteps of her forerunners who toured the continent without their husbands. Pat Nixon was the first to go it alone, traveling to Liberia, Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire in 1972 as a representative of president Richard Nixon. Hillary Clinton took her daughter Chelsea to five African states in 1997, while Laura Bush made five trips alone in support of president Bush’s global health initiatives. Michelle Obama traveled unaccompanied to South Africa in 2011, and in 2016 took her daughters Malia and Sasha to Liberia and Morocco to promote education for girls. Reuters Hillary Clinton arrives in the Masai village of Olturoto in Tanzania in 1997. But what sets apart the current first lady’s international trip from her predecessors is that it comes at a time when US-Africa policy has been set adrift. Since coming to office, president Trump’s administration has shown that it cares little, and understands even less, about the continent. Trump has reportedly called African states “shithole,” imposed travel bans on nations including Somalia and Libya, delayed the appointment of key officials to the continent, and even applauded a fictional African state during a meeting with African leaders. Trump also propagated false allegations of “large scale killing” of white farmers in South Africa, expediently ignoring data that shows violence against white farmers was on the decline. REUTERS/Jason Reed Laura Bush in Nigeria in 2006. In so far as there’s a policy, the administration is focused on security and countering China’s influence in the continent. This problematization of the deepening Sino-Africa relations was a narrative touted by former secretary of state Rex Tillerson, who was fired during his first and last trip to Africa. Last year, Trump also proposed to slash funding for HIV and AIDS programming, cuts that could lead to four million deaths and 26 million new infections in sub-Saharan Africa over the next 15 years, according to advocacy organization ONE campaign. Despite all this, Trump said last week that both he and his wife “love Africa. Africa is so beautiful. The most beautiful part of the world, in many ways.” Melania has also said her trip was rooted in globalism and was meant to encourage “open dialogue and the exchanging of ideas”—a point of contrast with her husband’s “America first” fervor. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal Michelle Obama in Morocco in 2016. Amid this conflicting messaging, experts are wondering how effective Melania’s trip could be and if she can help improve and repair US image abroad. Myra Gutin, a professor at Rider University in New Jersey who studies American first ladies says that she found the choice of a trip to Kenya “interesting” given that Melania supported her husband’s claims that Obama wasn’t born in Hawaii but in Kenya where his father was from. Gutin, however, notes Melania can leverage the goodwill and “positive vibe” associated with first ladies given they aren’t elected officials. As an intensely private first lady associated with a chaotic White House, she said she could also use this opportunity to engender a constructive portrait by speaking up on critical issues including healthcare and education. “She can show that the United States cares about these things, not just at home but around the world.” Sign up to the Quartz Africa Weekly Brief here for news and analysis on African business, tech and innovation in your inbox<doc-sep>"She is interested in Africa because she has never been before and knows that each country will have its own unique history and culture." Stephanie Grisham, her communications director, said.<doc-sep>
Melania Trump arrives in Ghana in bold red striped dress The US First Lady, 48, is on a week-long trip of four African countries to promote her Be Best initiative for children. But Melania's visit is also a chance to neutralise a series of derogatory comments made by her husband in recent months about the continent. Donald Trump caused outrage last year after making crude comments about Africa and Haiti, labelling them as “sh**thole countries” during an Oval Office discussion on immigration. Melania’s visit is unlikely to be anywhere near as controversial, although her £2,000 outfit did not go unnoticed today. Where is Trump's wife TODAY? Melania touched down in Accra, the capital of Ghana, for her first day before she heads to Kenya, Malawi and Egypt later this week. During her stay, the First Lady will visit child health facilities and orphanages promoting wellbeing for youngsters. He Be Best initiative, funded by the US government foreign aid fund US Aid, also educates against the dangers of drug abuse and cyber-bullying. WHY IS MELANIA TRUMP HEADING TO AFRICA WITHOUT HUSBAND DONALD TRUMP TODAY? Melania Trump: Melania is visiting four African countries during her first solo international trip Stepping off the plane in a red and white striped dress, Melania was greeted at the bottom of the steps by Ghana's first lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo and a young girl with flowers. The US president’s wife, bent down and put an arm around the young girl as she gave a broad smile. Before arriving she tweeted: “We are taking off for #Africa! So looking forward to visiting #Ghana #Malawi #Kenya & #Egypt as I take #BeBest international. #FLOTUSinAfrica2018.” What was the reaction to Melania's visit? The US First Lady’s trip has not received as much attention as her predecessor Michelle Obama, who visited South Africa and Botswana when her husband was president. Melania Trump: Melania was handed flowers by this young girl after landing at the airport in Accra Saleswoman Cynthia Brobbey, who works in a shop near Accra airport, told Reuters she had not been aware of the visit some three hours after her arrival. She said: “I did not know she's in town until I heard about it on the radio a few minutes ago.” Where did Melania do today? The first leg of the First Lady’s African tour saw her visit Ridge Hospital for a meet and greet with new mothers and their babies. Melania Trump: The US First Lady was today greeted by musicians and dancers