'We will Make America Great Again': Melania makes her speaking debut in Washington D.C. and earns a kiss from the future president with less than 24 hours to go until she is First Lady 

  • Soon-to-be first lady Melania Trump offered brief remarks to a gathering of Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill Thursday
  • Her husband, President-elect Donald Trump, enticed her to the microphone
  • She said it was 'great to be here' and thanked lawmakers for their support
  • After speaking for just a minute, she was escorted off stage by her husband, and quickly went to the back of the room to leave 
  • She spoke at the luxury hotel owned by her husband in a building leased from the federal government

By Geoff Earle, Deputy U.s. Political Editor For Dailymail.com

Published: 13:50 EST, 19 January 2017 | Updated: 16:50 EST, 19 January 2017

After an entreaty by her husband, Melania Trump gave remarks in Washington about the hard work ahead, invoking her husband's campaign slogan to a gathering of GOP lawmakers – and earned a kiss when she was all done.

The Slovenian-born former model took the stage at a luncheon on the day before Donald Trump is to take the oath of office, held at the luxury hotel owned by her husband in the nation's capital.

She mostly shunned the spotlight during her husband's campaign, and never gave a press conference the campaign said she would hold. It was only at the invitation of her husband that she took the stage.

'Would you like to say a couple of words?' Trump asked her from the microphone at a podium in a rule full of lawmakers and power brokers.

Melania Trump earned a kiss from President-elect Donald Trump after she delivered brief remarks at a luxury hotel owned by her husband

'It’s great to be here and thank you all for your support,' Melania Trump said, 'and tomorrow we start the work.'

'Ahead [there is] a lot of responsibility, a lot to take care of, and we will Make America great again,' she said in Slovenian-accented English, leaning into the microphone while gripping the podium with one hand.

Her brief remarks won applause enthusiastic whoops from the crowd.

President-elect raised his arms after his wife spoke as if to signal that all had gone well.

Melania Trump used her husband's 'Make America Great Again' slogan

The president-elect gently guided her down some stairs and pointed to the back of the room, from where the future first lady exited

THE WAY OUT: President-elect Donald Trump points toward the back of the room to show Melania Trump how to leave after her brief public remarks

THE REWARD: Melania Trump receives a kiss from her husband after delivering brief remarks at a podium, where she referenced the 'responsibility' and hard work ahead

When she was done, the president-elect raised his arms as if to signal that all had gone well.

Then the two embraced and exchanged a kiss on the lips. 

Then, he grabbed the soon-to-be first lady by the hand and escorted her down a few stairs. 

The president-elect pointed to a spot in the back of the room, where Melania Trump soon walked, as she prepared to leave.

Her husband then took the podium to salute and also poke fun at the gathered lawmakers, mentioning that Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas was always asking him for campaign funds and didn't support him, 'but that's the way it is.' 

President-elect Donald J. Trump (not pictured) and his wife Melania Trump arrive Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on the day before the inauguration

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President-elect Donald Trump smiled with pride while his wife delivered brief remarks in front of a podium carrying an inaugural seal

She spoke at the luxury hotel owned by her husband and leased from the federal government. 

The event was held inside the Presidential Ballroom in Trump's luxury hotel in Washington. 

Trump continues to be the owner of the hotel, although he told reporters he was relinquishing control of his business when he took office, with his adult sons and an executive now in charge.

Former White House ethics experts have said the hotel poses a potential conflict of interest because the government is a party to the lease and foreigners and other visitors contribute to the Trump Organization's bottom line when they stay there. 

Trump joked about the quality of the interior, which his company renovated inside the historic Old Post Office building on Pennsylvania Avenue.

'Where is this? This is a gorgeous room,' he quipped. 'A total genius must have built this place.' 

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