In a rare public statement, former first lady Melania Trump declared her support for her husband’s reelection campaign.
Melania Trump spoke with Fox News Digital about her own intentions and former President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
“My husband achieved tremendous success in his first administration, and he can lead us toward greatness and prosperity once again,” she said, noting that she would appreciate having “the privilege” of being first lady again.
“He has my support, and we look forward to restoring hope for the future and leading America with love and strength,” she said.
Fox News reported on Tuesday that the interview took place on Saturday, following a luncheon Melania Trump hosted at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, where the first family resides.
The luncheon commemorated the fifth anniversary of the “Be Best” initiative, which the former first lady launched from the White House Rose Garden in 2018.
Melania Trump has adopted a low-key approach to assisting forgotten children, particularly those in the nation’s foster care system, as her husband has advanced his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.
She said if the Trumps return to the White House, she would “prioritize the well-being and development of children, as I have always done.”
I enjoyed the open and sincere discussion I had this past weekend, over lunch, with a group of teens from the foster care community. We covered a wide range of topics, including their personal experiences, struggles, and hopes for the future. I am confident that they will… pic.twitter.com/pqY8F2RZzm
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) May 9, 2023
“My focus would continue to be creating a safe and nurturing space for children to learn, grow, and thrive,” she said, according to Fox. “If additional problems arise, I will take the time to study them and understand their root causes.”
She added: “My goal would be to ensure that every child has the support and resources they need to reach their full potential.”
Melania Trump founded the “Be Best” initiative, which focuses on healthful and positive outcomes for children, five years ago. Since then, she has created “Fostering the Future,” a scholarship program for youth leaving foster care who wish to pursue degrees in information technology.
Today, on the 5th anniversary of my Be Best initiative, we are reminded of the incredible impact that can be achieved when we come together to support our next generation.
The fact that two individuals from the foster care community have received university-level scholarships… pic.twitter.com/vpSP5P4ZKN— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) May 7, 2023
“Since leaving Washington D.C., my commitment to the foster community has grown stronger,” she said, according to Fox.
“At the present time, there are more than 400,000 children in the foster care system, and there is less than a 3 percent chance of former foster children completing their college education. In fact, many end up on the street, homeless.
“My objective is to reduce the gap and increase access to higher education for those who leave the foster care system,” she said.
Two scholarships have been awarded to date.
“I have faith that an education-based foundation will provide these individuals with the skills needed to secure employment and achieve financial stability,” she said, according to Fox.
A representative of the former first lady told Fox that Melania Trump’s mission is to “bring awareness and attention to the foster care system and help guarantee that no child is overlooked, defined by their circumstance or confined to their present reality.”
Melania Trump issued a statement last month in response to multiple news reports about her absence from New York City during her husband’s indictment on multiple counts of falsifying business records.
We ask readers to exercise caution and good judgment when determining whether or not stories concerning the former First Lady are accurate, particularly when they fail to cite Mrs. Trump as a source of information.
— Office of Melania Trump (@OfficeofMelania) April 11, 2023
“Melania will support him. That’s what she does. They are a family,” People reported in an April 3 article, citing what it called “a political source.”
A March 31 report in the U.K. Daily Mail cited a source it described as “close to the former first lady” who painted a similar picture.
“Mrs. Trump is strong. She is focused on her family and stands behind her husband, as she always has,” the source said. “For the past seven years, the left has made multiple attempts to smear and attack her family and this is just the latest attempt to bring him down.”