Melania Brought 2 Special Guests To Barbara Bush Funeral — Neither Was Her Husband
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On Saturday, First Lady Melania Trump flew to Houston, Texas, to attend the funeral of former First Lady and presidential mother Barbara Bush at St. Martin’s Church. Melania had two special guests in tow for the service, each of them quite meaningful to the Bush family. Neither of the individuals, however, was her husband, President Donald Trump.
Tradition dictates that sitting First Ladies attend the funerals of former First Ladies, but current presidents have been known to sit out funerals of former presidential wives. When Nancy Reagan passed away in 2016, Barack Obama skipped out on her California funeral to attend a Democratic fundraiser, but his wife Michelle attended. Likewise, then-first lady Hillary Clinton attended the burial of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in 1994.
Still, many were wondering whether Melania Trump would attend Barbara Bush’s funeral on Saturday as the two families have had their fair share of differences in the past. The Bushes are close friends of the Clintons, and during the 2016 presidential election, Barbara Bush said that she couldn’t see how “women can vote for someone” like Trump after his remarks about former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly.
However, this is not the time for partisan politics. Demonstrating what a true class act she is, First Lady Melania flew to Houston on Saturday, where she paid her respects to one of her most iconic and influential predecessors, Barbara Bush. The picture of grace, Melania even sat right next to her husband’s biggest enemies — the Obamas and the Clintons — putting her own feelings aside in order to honor Mrs. Bush.
These were not the only ways Melania honored Barbara Bush this weekend, though. She also brought two special guests to the invite-only event, and they were perfectly representative of the woman Mrs. Bush was and the legacy she left behind.
While Barbara Bush’s funeral service on Saturday touted such high-profile attendees as Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton, and Hillary Clinton, Melania Trump did not try to garner any fanfare by bringing big names with her as guests. Instead, she invited two people you’ve likely never heard of: Former White House head maitre d’ George Hainey and White House usher Buddy Carter.
The invitation-only funeral service for Bush began at 11 a.m. CT at St. Martin’s, where Bush and her longtime husband, former president George H.W. Bush, regularly attended services.
Among the estimated 1,500 people attending were four former presidents — all living presidents except Jimmy Carter, who was traveling overseas — as well as first lady Melania Trump and former first ladies. Television cameras captured intimate moments among the first families, with former president Barack Obama sharing a word with Mrs. Trump.
The current first lady, knowing of Mrs. Bush’s devotion to the staff during her four years living at the White House, brought as guests two career staffers from the White House residence former head maitre d’ George Hainey, and usher Buddy Carter.
President Trump, following custom, is not attending the funeral but tweeted a photo of Mrs. Bush’s official portrait in the White House in remembrance. [Source: USA Today]
According to NBC News’ Monica Alba, FLOTUS spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said that Melania “knew they [Hainey and Carter] were very close to the Bush family and wanted them to be able to pay their respects.” Melania knew of Mrs. Bush’s devotion to the White House staff during her years as the first lady, and she wanted to make sure that some of her favorite staffers were there at the funeral.
According to IJR, Buddy Carter began his work at the White House during the Bush administration after working for 15 years at Blair House. George Hainey, who grew up under Jim Crow laws in Alabama, served in the White House for 46 years, starting with former President Lyndon B. Johnson. “The most memorable moment I had at the White House is seeing my mother walk up North Portico, all alone, to visit me and George and Barbara Bush in their personal quarters,” Hainey once told MSNBC.
Melania’s decision to bring George Hainey and Buddy Carter with her as special guests to Barbara Bush’s funeral shows that she truly had the former first lady’s wishes at heart. After all, Mrs. Bush requested a simple service without too much fanfare; it was important to her that the people nearest and dearest to her heart were present. No doubt Barbara Bush was smiling down from heaven to see Hainey and Carter at her service on Saturday.