First lady Melania Trump announced an awareness campaign Monday that will try to help children facing issues in their lives from online bullying to opioid abuse.
The initiative, called “Be Best,” was rolled out by Trump in the White House Rose Garden. The aim would be to focus on physical, social and emotional health, she said.
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“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,” Trump said. “I feel strongly that as adults we can and should be best at educating our children about a healthy and balanced life.”
Trump announced her long-awaited initiative and was joined by President Trump; first daughter Ivanka Trump; Jared Kushner, her son-in-law and a senior adviser to the administration; Vice President Mike Pence; and second lady Karen Pence. Trump vowed to bring attention to organizations, companies and people who “are helping children overcome the many issues they face as they grow up.” That will include discussions with social media sites as well as with people who are battling drug addiction.
Prior to her husband’s election, Trump had said she planned on focusing her efforts on cyberbullying if she became first lady. After arriving at the White House, she began to attend meetings on opioid addiction, an epidemic that has reached more than 2 million people in the U.S. One of the meetings was with a clinic that helps babies suffering from withdrawal after being exposed to opioids in the womb, and other meetings at the White House were with with nonprofits and medical facility staff that run treatment and prevention programs.
Trump drew attention to the issue in her speech Monday, vowing to raise awareness about programs aimed at combating the crisis that claims tens of thousands of lives, surpassing 42,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2016. Late last year, she appeared beside her husband as he declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency, and she gave a speech in which she said she had been struck by how children had been affected.
After her remarks Monday, the president signed a “Be Best” proclamation marking May 7 as “Be Best Day.” He said that during the first lady’s travels “Americans have been touched by her sincerity” and “lifted by her love.”
Critics often blast President Trump for his use of social media to go after those who disagree with his policies, but the first lady signaled she was taking a different approach, saying that she knew social media could be used in positive ways but “too often is used in negative ways.”
“When children learn positive online behaviors early on, social media can be used in productive ways and can affect positive change,” she said. “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.”
Former first ladies have focused on other causes that targeted children’s wellness. Trump’s immediate predecessor, Michelle Obama, focused on childhood obesity, while Barbara Bush’s platform centered on childhood literacy.
