Despite an almost assured adverse reception, first lady Melania Trump spoke about opioid abuse at the B'More Youth Summit in a city that President Donald Trump had derided as a "rat and rodent infested mess" in a July tweet.
She was met with boos and hisses from a crowd that consisted of mostly high school and middle school students. The boos were sustained for two minutes of her five-minute speech, and the audience spoke throughout.
The first lady did not acknowledge the reaction and carried on with her remarks, as the logo for her "Be Best" initiative was shown on the screen behind her. One of the initiative's focuses is combating youth opioid abuse, reports The Washington Post.
"Thank you to all of the students who are here," she told the crowd. "I am so proud of you for the bravery it takes to share that you have been strongly affected by the opioid epidemic in some way."