U.S. Sgt. Henry Waller was “overwhelmed with joy” as he danced with first lady Melania Trump during Monday night’s inaugural celebrations, one of several viral moments captured on the day President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office.
The nation’s first couple swapped dancing partners at the Commander in Chief Ball on Monday. Waller, an Honor Guard member who gave the first lady a spin onstage, recalled how he asked her how her night was going, to which she said it was going “good” and proceeded to ask how his evening was, prompting him to answer it was “fantastic.”
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“When I walked out onstage, I was trying to contain my composure, but we were told that it’s not ceremonial composure,” Waller told Inside Edition. “We can smile if we want to, and I was just overwhelmed with joy being out on the stage with all those people cheering for me.”
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Waller was also asked how good of a dancer the first lady was, and he responded that she was “a really good dancer.” He added that he did not rehearse much for the dance, as he only danced “back home with my wife.”
Meanwhile, the president danced at the ball with Sgt. Tatiana Saldana of the U.S. Space Force. Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, also exchanged dancing partners at the ball. The vice president danced with U.S. Staff Sgt. Lexus Martinez, who reflected how she was “very nervous” and joked that he was a better dancer than her.
“I was so nervous. I probably looked like I had two left feet,” Martinez said.
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Martinez’s boyfriend, who was in the audience at the ball, recorded her dancing with the vice president while shouting, “That’s my girlfriend!” During the dance, the vice president told Martinez that he hoped he would not step on her feet, to which she joked, “I hope you teach me how to dance up there,” prompting the two to both laugh.
The president’s inaugural celebrations featured performances from multiple musicians, including country singer Jason Aldean. The musician, who performed at the Liberty Ball and is one of the few celebrities who has supported Trump, said it was “a good thing” to see celebrities who were previously silent show up to celebrate Trump’s inauguration.
