Melania Trump unveils ‘Be Best’ campaign to support children
THE White House has lashed against reports that Melania Trump has a tense relationship with President Donald Trump, as she revealed her agenda as First Lady.
The Washington Post reported that her fractured relationship with her husband has led to her living outside the White House, and rumours suggests she lives with her parents in Washington, D.C..
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders slammed the story as “something that belongs in tabloid gossip.”
“Just when you think The Washington Post can’t get things any more wrong, they do,” Sanders said.
“That is an outrageous and ridiculous claim. The First Lady lives here at the White House, we see her here regularly,” she said, adding that she hopes the Post will “do better next time.”
The relationship between them has been a subject of persistent speculation as President Trump faces allegations he had an extramarital affair with an adult-film star around the time she gave birth to their son Barron.
It comes as Mrs Trump gave her multipronged effort to promote the well-being of children a minimalist new motto, ‘Be Best’.
The US first lady formally launched her long-awaited initiative after more than a year of reading to children, learning about babies born addicted to drugs and hosting a White House conversation on cyberbullying.
“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 often times turn to forms of destructive or addictive behavior such as bullying, drug addiction or even suicide,” she said in prepared remarks.
“I feel strongly that as adults, we can and should ‘be best’ at educating our children about the importance of a healthy and balanced life,” Mrs Trump said.
The first lady said early on that she would focus on child well-being. The goal of her public awareness campaign is to encourage parents and other adults to teach children how to be good citizens, including being kind, not bullying on social media or anywhere else, staying away from drugs and taking care of themselves.
The campaign will focus on the issues of well-being, social media and opioid abuse, she said.
“If we truly listen to what our kids have to say, whether it be their concerns or ideas, adults can provide them the support and tools they need to grow up to be happy and productive adults who contribute positively to society and their global communities,” said Mrs Trump, who made the announcement in the White House Rose Garden as President Donald Trump looked on from the audience.
Trump is playing the supportive spouse as Mrs Trump unveiled her initiatives as first lady.
Trump sat in the front row in the Rose Garden Monday as his wife outlined her plan.
At the conclusion of Mrs. Trump’s remarks, the president kissed her on the cheeks and thanked her before signing a proclamation declaring May 7 “Be Best” day.
Trump called it a “beautiful” and “heartfelt” speech.
In March, the first lady hosted representatives of the major online and social media companies at the White House to discuss cyberbullying and internet safety. That meeting came more than a year after she promised to use her White House platform to discourage cyberbullying. Her choice was ridiculed almost immediately, given her husband’s longtime habit of calling people names on Twitter, but Mrs Trump said the criticism wouldn’t discourage her from doing what she thinks is right.
She said on Monday that social media is too often used in negative ways and that it is important for children to learn positive online behaviors at a young age. “I do believe that children should be both seen and heard, and it is our responsibility as adults to educate and remind them that when they are using their voices - whether verbally or online - they must choose their words wisely and speak with respect and compassion,” the first lady said.
Modern first ladies typically highlight personal causes, from Nancy Reagan’s campaign to get kids to “Just Say No” to drugs to the emphasis the late Barbara Bush and her daughter-in-law
Laura Bush placed on literacy and education to Michelle Obama’s signature “Let’s Move” campaign against childhood obesity, which she launched about a year after moving to the White House. Mrs. Trump took a little more time to pull her initiative together. She did not live in the White House for the first five months of the administration to avoid having their son, Barron, now 12, change schools during the year.
She has a smaller staff than her predecessors and only hired her policy director in January of this year. It comes as Mrs Trump has experienced a significant surge in support, including among women and Democrats in the US.
In a new poll conducted by CNN, 57 per cent said they have a favourable impression of her up from 47 per cent in January.
This is higher than any number Mrs Trump has experienced in previous polling and higher than any favourability her husband has earned in CNN polling going back to 1999.
The announcement from Mrs Trump also comes as her husband battles accusations about his past encounters with women. Porn actress Stormy Daniels is seeking to be released from a nondisclosure agreement barring her from speaking about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006.
