Melania gets rock-star welcome at White House Christmas event

Melania Trump got in the Christmas spirit on Monday, hosting some holiday-themed activities for schoolchildren as part of her first Xmas at the White House.

Trump descended a flight of stairs in the Grand Foyer to pose for photographers as a trio of ballerinas from Vivid Ballet in Hartford, Conn., danced before her to “The Nutcracker Suite” in a performance that elicited a strong reaction on social media.

Just your average day covering FLOTUS and ballerinas at the White House… pic.twitter.com/BlCNR7OhwW

— Judy Kurtz (@JudyKurtz) November 27, 2017

The first lady received a rockstar-like welcome as she entered the East Room, with one student from Joint Base Andrews exclaiming, “She’s beautiful — like an angel!”

“Are you the first lady?” another was heard asking.

{mosads}After Trump sat down to decorate wreaths with a group of children, one youngster eyed her hand and told the first lady, “That’s a good ring.” Trump smiled and thanked him as she chatted with the students about Christmas plans.

In the Green Room, a small group of 9-year-olds crafted silhouettes. When one girl asked Trump her favorite animal, the first lady said it was a lion.

“I love animals,” Trump said with a smile. “They’re beautiful.”

Another group of kids were busy creating trees made of gumdrops in the Red Room. “A lot of sugar, right?” Trump asked as she picked up a few of the candies from a bowl.

Some of the kids confided in her that they didn’t believe in Santa Claus, which prompted a grin from Trump.

“Who do you think is Santa then?” Trump, mom to 11-year-old Barron, asked.

The children said they instead suspected their parents of placing gifts under the Christmas tree, to which Trump responded, “That’s nice too.”

“It’s good to be thankful,” she added.

At the entrance to the East Wing, Trump asked some of the children to read from cards to troops that they were busy penning.

She nodded approvingly after one boy said it was a “really sad thought” that service members wouldn’t be home for the holidays.

Trump told the group it was important to thank the military “for their sacrifices.”

The holiday decor at the White House, with a theme of “Time-Honored Traditions,” was unveiled earlier on Monday.

The White House says more than 25,000 people are expected to tour 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in the month of December, and that Trump personally selected “every detail of this year’s holiday season” there.