Melania Trump was loudly booed by students on Tuesday, as she addressed an event at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. The event was part of White House's attempts to fight America's opioid abuse epidemic.
Videos of the B'More Youth Summit show a speaker introducing the first lady before the crowd immediately begins to loudly boo her. Melania can be seen smiling and waving to the audience as the boos continue from the crowd comprising of middle and high school students.
"Melania Trump was greeted with some cheers but also a resounding chorus of loud boos, which lasted for about one minute," CNN's Kate Bennett reported from the event. "More talking over her remarks went on for about the first two minutes of her speech."
Donald Trump angered many in Baltimore this summer when he attacked the Democratic congressman Elijah Cummings by referring to the city as a "rat and rodent-infested mess".
This prompted the Baltimore Sun newspaper to tell the president: "Better to have some vermin living in your neighbourhood than to be one."
On Tuesday, the first lady was introduced as "somebody who has made it their personal mission to use their platform to make a difference in this particular area, with wellness and addiction and particularly the opioid crisis that we're living through right now".
The first lady discussed her Be Best initiative, which focuses well-being and online safety as well as combating opioid abuse. In her five-minute speech, Melania warned about the dangers of drug addiction.
"I know each one of you has hopes and dreams for the future, whether it is college, joining the military, or playing a sport, your future will be determined by the choices you make," she said, according to her prepared remarks.
"Using drugs will only slow you down and prevent you from achieving those goals," she continued. "I encourage you to use the resources available in your community so that nothing can stand in your way."
