asked here is not whether or not what the officer did is the right decision. the question is whether it's going to set a nation would floor that officers may not arrest in circumstances like these. >> thank you, counsel. the case is submitted. landmark cases, a c-span history series about the supreme court returns in february. join us as we hear the human stories and constitutional drama behind 12 frequently cited cases heard by the high court. landmark cases live on c-span beginning in february. next, first lady melania trump donates her inaugural gown to the smithsonian's national museum of american history where it will be on display in the first lady's exhibit. this presentation is about 15 minutes.

>> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome mr. john gray, directors of the smithsonian national museum of american history. the 13th secretary of the smithsonian institution, dr. david skorten. and the first lady of the united states mrs. melania trump. [ applause ]

>> good morning and welcome. i'm john gray and i have the privilege of being your director of your national museum of american history. we are so honored to extend a very special welcome to first lady trump. it is a thrill to have you with us, and we're so privileged to have our nation ceremony in our flag hall. the second secretary of the smithsonian, dr. david skorten. to our board chair, ambassador nicholas talsman, many members of our board who are with us and to all of your distinguished guests, we welcome you and thank you for your support. millions of americans and so many other visitors from every corner of the world walk through our first lady's galleries each year. they experience not only the importance, gran dure and

elegance of the first ladies, but they reflect in how our american democracy, transitions of power are celebrated peacefully. exhibitions and collections like the one that will house mrs. trump's gown requires a skill and passion of our extraordinary staff at the national museum of american history. they create what the public sees and loves, creating the transfo transformative experience that only history can offer. and we thank all the staff who have worked on this. just behind us lies the hallowed star spangled banner preserved for future generations. and to my right offering his sword and the power it represents back to the people. these two national treasures remind of us our responsibility to foster the strongest and most

vibrant democracy. later this morning our newest national treasure will be installed in the first lady's exhibition, another beautiful symbol of the enduring power of our democracy. mrs. trump, it is a tremendous honor to have you and our guest join the smith sewngen of a tradition that goes back more than 100 years, the addition of the inaugural gown to the smi smithsonian. and we thank you. here at the national museum we preserve and share a collection of national treasures on behalf of the american people to demonstrate the power of american history, to help us make sense of the past and shape a more humane future. we are working to bring the

nation together around those fundamental american ideals and ideas by freedom, opportunity and democracy that join us as a people. mrs. trump, we are grateful to you for entrusting us with this magnificent gown. and we ensure you it will be cared for in the same spirit and with the same attention as all of our national treasures. in just a few hours when the gallery reopens to the public, the nation and the world will share this moment forever. it is now my pleasure to introduce the 13th secretary of the smith sewngsonian dr. david skorten, a first generation american, cardiologist, flutist, university leader, champion of the arts and humanities and an advocate for the most important issues of our time. secretary skorten.

>> thank you, john. thanks, everyone for joining us. mrs. trump, again, thank you very much for donating this and being part of the smithsonian. distinguished guests welcome to the smithsonian national history museum. this museum as director gray said has been collecting gowns of the first ladies collection for more than a century. and it is and remains one of the most popular exhibitions in the entire smithsonian. on behalf of the smithsonian i want to thank you again mrs. trump for your generosity and allowing us to add to this collection. and again my thanks mr. pierre for collaborating on the design of this gown. since its opening in 1944 the

smithsonian has endeavored to telling the story to national and international visitors every year. we tell that story through the words and actions of people both famous and obscured. we inspire students through educational programs that reach them here in our museums and in our homes and classrooms across the nation. and objects and artifacts help put that history into sharp focus and context. this gown is the height of fashion, something that pleases us asthetically with its beauty and craftsmanship and elegance. it also captivates us. it is a uniquely human response. koodesigner prodda said fashion is an instant language. these gowns speak to us, telling us much about the accomplished

women who wore them. each first liddy left an indelible mark on this country and those who wore them. michelle obama's white, silk chiffon gown and many others from our nation's 241-year history. and because this is an inaugural gown like many others in the first lady's collection, it also helps underscore our values as a nation. this gown as director gray said is emblematic of the peaceful transition of power that is the hallmark of this democracy. it reminds us that our ideals still resonate over 200 years later. that for all our flaws this nation is founded on a government by the people and for the people and will endure.

thanks to everyone here in helping us on our mission to educate and inspire. and now it is my honor to ask you to join me in welcoming the first lady of the united states, melania trump. [ applause ] >> thank you so much thank you for your warm welcome. it is an honor to be here today. i want start by thanking director john gray and secretary david -- for the wonderful introduction. thank you for everything you do

to preserve parts of our nation's history. you have such an important role on behalf of our country. one may be the one on stage -- i want to take a moment to introduce you to the person behind my gorgeous cotouture piece. [ applause ] thank you for all that you did to create such a wonderful piece. you're a true artist and a real professional. as most of you know before being elected president my husband was never in politics. so you could imagine that after he won we were very busy with all the goals in preparing for a new administration and all the changes that we as a family would be facing.

to be honest what i would wear to the inaugural ball was the last thing on my mind. in fact, by the time i got around to thinking about my wardrobe choice, poor jerve was only given two weeks to produce and design this couture piece. we had never worked together before, but i knew of his stellar reputation and wanted to work with someone who would do more than just design a dress. i wanted someone to that would be willing to coordinate with me and jerve exceeded my expectations. i have had a passion for design from a very young age and had a precise idea of what i wanted

for such a historic evening. i expressed a desire for modern, sleek, light, unique and unexpected look. i must tell you that it can be a daunting task to choose an outfit that will become part of our nation's story. i was so pleased with our end result, and it is now my hope this piece is one of the many great beginnings to our family's history here in washington, d.c. the president, baron, and i love living here. and we are so honored to represent this country. the smithsonian has the unique honor and ability to tell our future generations the story of our nation's history. i'm so honored and grateful to become part of this history, and thank you all for being here

with me today. god bless you and god bless the united states of america. thank you. [ applause ] [ applause ]

[ applause ] this week c-span sat down with hillary clinton to talk about her new book "what happened" which is her personal account of the 2016 presidential campaign. you can watch the entire interview this weekend on book tv. but for now, here's a preview. >> you say in the book the media needs to do its own soul-searching. >> yes, i do. and, look, one of the things about krarks span, i'm not just flattering you, but you guys cover everything. let people draw their own conclusions.

and i understand the pressures the press is under. both print and broadcast and certainly online. they've got to, you know, get ad dollars or they've got to get eyeballs or clicks, whatever they're looking for. and get that. but, you know, our presidential election has been a really big deal, and now we see what happens when someone is not vetted. and people will say to me well, we talked about the hollywood access tape. and how much-did you follow up with the people's stories? not much. and i think the campaign did a really good job of changing the subject all the time. >> you can watch it this sunday at 2:15 p.m. and 11:05 p.m. eastern on c-span 2's book tv. now a look at the state of