Melania Trump takes spotlight to launch child welfare scheme
MELANIA TRUMP announced her formal agenda yesterday as she signalled her intention to take up a more prominent profile as First Lady.
Almost 16 months into her tenure, Mrs Trump announced her new initiative for children – the “Be Best Campaign” – in a public launch at the White House.
The three-pronged programme will focus on children’s well-being, using social media in a positive way and combating opioid abuse, Mrs Trump said.
“I believe our responsibility lies in the critical time before a child reaches adulthood,” she said.
It was a major step for the First Lady, who has been eager to remain out of the spotlight in recent months while Donald Trump faced a string of allegations of extramarital affairs.
Mrs Trump called her husband to the stage at the end of her speech to sign a proclamation announcing May 7 as “Be Best Day”, giving her campaign official backing.
Spectators were quick to criticise the campaign slogan, with Mr Trump reportedly laughing after one audience member asked him if it was grammatically correct. Social media users also saw fit to comment, with one Twitter user saying: “Is proper grammar from the first lady too much to ask?”
Others pointed out that the slogan was similar to a phrase Michelle Obama, Mrs Trump’s predecessor, has previously used.
Asked what men could do during an event about women’s empowerment in 2016, Mrs Obama told the audience: “Be better ... be better at everything.”
The joint appearance by the Trumps followed a major report from The Washington Post suggesting the pair lead separate lives and spend very little time together in private.
The couple are reported to sleep in separate rooms and even eat their meals apart, White House staff told the newspaper.
It reported that Mrs Trump has “erected a de facto wall” between the East Wing, where the residency is located, and the West Wing, where her husband and Ivanka Trump, her eldest stepdaughter, have offices.
The White House has dismissed the claims as “outrageous and ridiculous” tabloid speculation.
Sitting in the front row, feet from his wife at the podium, the president listened as the First Lady cautioned against the “destructive behaviour” such as “bullying”. Representatives from Microsoft, Google, Twitter as well as members of Mr Trump’s cabinet were present for the announcement.
Turning to his wife, Mr Trump said: “Melania, you are an inspiration.”
The pair returned to the White House holding hands – an unusual display of intimacy between the couple.
The First Lady has declined to comment on the allegations surrounding her marriage, but has begun increasing her profile in recent weeks. The role of First Lady, an unpaid position, has varied between administrations but Mrs Trump has been perceived to take a relatively back-seat approach in comparison with Mrs Obama.
Her decision not to move into the White House full-time until six months after her husband was elected was met with raised eyebrows and she taken a longer time then her predecessors to announce an initiative.
While Mrs Trump has highlighted issues facing children since last September, this is the first time she has formally outlined how she will carry that forward. She announced her campaign from the White House’s Rose Garden, her first speech from the location, saying it was “our generation’s moral imperative to take responsibility and help our children”.
“As a mother and as First Lady, it concerns me that in today’s fast-paced and ever-connected world, children can be less prepared to express or manage their emotions and oftentimes turn to forms of destructive or addictive behaviour such as bullying, drug addiction or even suicide,” she said.