First lady Melania Trump highlighted the success of the initiatives she has championed, from advancing the foster care system to artificial intelligence, on Thursday at the 113th annual First Lady’s Luncheon.
Both initiatives focus on benefiting and helping children, which are key issues the first lady has been focusing on during President Donald Trump’s second administration.
“The world doesn’t move for those who stop,” she said. “Over the past year, with discipline and focus, I have enacted several initiatives to benefit our children.”
Second lady Usha Vance welcomed Trump to the stage, saying she is “deeply” grateful for the first lady’s “bold leadership” and “friendship.”
The annual luncheon hosted by the Congressional Club Museum and Foundation honors the first lady and brings together congressional spouses, administration officials, and guests to advance bipartisan community service.
“America’s children are our moral equals,” she said. “As parents and leaders, it is our ethical obligation to ensure our kids develop emotionally and physically within a safe environment.”
Trump highlighted that she “conveyed” this to lawmakers in her rare appearance on Capitol Hill last week, where she hosted a roundtable with lawmakers about legislation strengthening the foster care system.
If the law is passed, it will mark the second piece of legislation that the first lady championed, focused on protecting “America’s next generation.”
“I remain impressed by our representatives’ bipartisan commitment, and I’m confident this will soon become the law of the land,” Trump said.
In November 2025, the president signed the Fostering the Future executive order aimed at advancing the foster care system by providing young Americans in or transitioning out of it with the “tools they need to become successful adults.”
The first lady revealed that Fostering the Future has been adopted by roughly 33% of states nationwide.
During her remarks, Trump highlighted the achievements of the Fostering the Future initiative, including the Justice Department securing its first conviction from the legislation she supported, the Take it Down Act.
The Take it Down Act criminalized the online publication of nonconsensual intimate images and AI-generated deepfakes.
Artificial intelligence is another issue Trump has been focusing her efforts on, launching the Fostering the Future Together’s inaugural summit, bringing together first spouses to provide children with tools for navigating AI, and the Presidential AI Challenge.
“We are not here to prepare our children for yesterday’s world,” Trump said. “Be purposeful with your objectives and remember that AI accelerates everything.”
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Trump called for audience members to join her in advancing the Be Best causes.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as first lady, but understand that my persistence alone is not enough,” she said. “Together we can change people’s lives for the better. America’s children will ultimately protect our future freedom.”