First Lady Pool Reports of July 10, 2024

Hi. I will be your FLOTUS pooler today for the spousal event at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History as part of the NATO summit.

The motorcade pulled out of the White House at 10:49 am.

The White House shares the following background info:

On Wednesday, July 10, 2024 at 12:15 PM, as part of the 2024 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit, First Lady Jill Biden will host a brunch reception for spouses and partners at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. The First Lady will deliver brief remarks.

During the visit, the spouses will have the opportunity to see the Entertainment Nation exhibit, which features a collection of theater, music, sports, and movie and TV objects.

Expected attendees include:

1. Linda Rama, Spouse of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania
2. Annik Penders, Spouse of the Prime Minister of Belgium
3. Sanja Musić Milanović, Spouse of the President of the Republic of Croatia
4. Eva Pavlová, First Lady of the Czech Republic
5. Bo Tengberg, Spouse of the Prime Minister of Denmark
6. Arvo Hallik, Spouse of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia
7. Amélie Fédérique Derbaudrenghien, Spouse of the President of the European Council
8. Suzanne Innes-Stubb, Spouse of the President of the Republic of Finland
9. Britta Ernst, Spouse of the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany
10. Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis, Spouse of the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic
11. Thóra Margrét Baldvinsdóttir, Spouse of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Iceland
12. Kim Keon Hee, First Lady of the Republic of Korea
13. Diana Nausėdienė, First Lady of the Republic of Lithuania
14. Marjolijne Frieden, Spouse of the Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
15. Milena Tošić, Partner of the Prime Minister of Montenegro
16. Ingrid Schulerud, Spouse of the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
17. Agata Kornhauser-Duda, Spouse of the President of the Republic of Poland
18. Carla Montenegro, Spouse of the Prime Minister of the Portuguese Republic
19. Tina Gaber, Partner of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia
20. Birgitta Kristersson Ed, Spouse of the Prime Minister of Sweden
21. Emine Erdoğan, First Lady of the Republic of Türkiye
22. Lady Victoria Starmer, Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
23. Olena Zelenska, First Lady of Ukraine

Additional Background
Entertainment Nation Exhibit
Opened in December of 2022, this permanent exhibit explores how, for over 150 years, entertainment has provided a forum for important national conversations. Objects are from culture makers such as Muhammad Ali and Ali Wong, Tejana singer Selena, Star Wars' C-3PO and R2-D2 and the enduring magical pull of the Ruby Slippers, and the charm of the first Muppets.

National Museum of American History

With over 2 million visitors each year, the National Museum of American History is home to more than 1.8 million objects and more than three shelf-miles of archival collections. The museum's exhibitions explore fundamental American ideals and ideas—such as democracy, opportunity, and freedom—and major themes in American history and culture, from European contact in the Americas to the present day. Its mission is to empower people to create a just and compassionate future by exploring, preserving, and sharing the complexity of our past.

After a very brief ride, FLOTUS' Motorcade arrived at the National Museum of American History at 10:53 am. Pool held for a little bit under an hour before we were escorted through the museum to just outside the Ray and Dagmar Dolby Hall of American Culture, where FLOTUS and other spouses were gathered for a family photo.

FLOTUS was wearing a royal blue pleated dress. She made some friendly chatter with other spouses as they posed in front of a NATO summit sign.

Following the family photo, your pool was escorted down one floor where we held while the spouses participated in a brunch. We were brought into the brunch reception at 12:25 for FLOTUS' remarks.

Spouses were seated at round tables in a museum atrium. FLOTUS spoke for about 7 minutes from a lectern flanked by NATO signs. Please check quotes.

FLOTUS thanked the museum curators for showing them the collection. She said she liked the ruby slippers the best — although she said they weren't really ruby, but rather sequins — and asked others to share what they liked. Someone shouted "muppets!"

FLOTUS then spoke about the unity among the group and said "this moment in history calls for our collective strength. And I hope that we too can forge the kind of partnerships where we can always reach out to one another and take each others hands and share in the challenges and the joys as our roles as first spouses."

She said very few of them in the room probably could have predicted that they would be "supporting partners" one day to people leading the world.

When Joe was first elected vice president and then president, FLOTUS said she was initially "out of my comfort zone." But she knew it would be an "incredible opportunity" and promised herself she would "never waste my platform."

She then spoke about issues important to her, including the work she's done with military families and her "Joining Forces" initiative. She said the fight to end cancer was also important to her family and she mentioned women's health as another topic of interest.

She said she looked forward to learning more about "what drives you" and how they could all continue to support one another.

"Our work is always better when we do it together."

She reminded everyone to dress comfortably when they gather at Camp David tomorrow.

Pool is back in the van waiting to return to the White House.

Motorcade left the museum at 12:52 and pulled back into the White House gates at 12:53.

That's it from me.