First Lady Melania Trump Delivers Remarks At Annual First Lady’s Luncheon

[7:28] of the United States House of Representatives, Jane Roberts, spouse of Chief Justice John [7:47] Roberts, Supreme Court of the United States. [8:02] Ginny Thomas, spouse of Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Supreme Court of the United [8:08] States. [8:08] Lee Kavanaugh, spouse of Associate Justice Brent Kavanaugh. [8:24] Jennifer Jessie Barrett, spouse of Associate Justice Amy Comey Barrett, Supreme Court of [8:43] the United States. [8:43] Jennifer Heysa, spouse of Pete Heysa, Secretary of War. [8:57] Secretary of Interior, Allison Lutnick, spouse of Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce. [9:52] Secretary of Health and Human Services, spouse of Sean Duffy, Secretary of Homeland Security [10:48] of the Honorable Bob McEwen and Mrs. Liz McEwen of O'Connor's Deputy of Wisconsin. [12:22] Granddaughter of the Honorable Dan Beneshek and Mrs. Judy Beneshek of Michigan. [12:27] Clinton Gertz, granddaughter of the Honorable Mick Lampson and Mrs. Susan Lampson of Texas. [12:41] Joy Graves, daughter of the Honorable Garrett Graves and Mrs. Carissa Graves of Louisiana. [12:56] Grace Hartley, granddaughter of the Honorable Walden Herger and Mrs. Pam Herger of California. [13:10] Virginia Hillary, daughter of the Honorable William B. Hillary and Mrs. Meredith Hillary of Tennessee. [13:24] Gabriella Hurd, daughter of the Honorable Jeff Hurd and Mrs. Barbara Hurd of Colorado. [13:49] Daughter of Senator John A. Husted and Mrs. Tina Husted of Ohio. [13:54] Erin Brydie Kennedy, daughter of the Honorable Timothy L. Kennedy and Dr. Katie N. Kennedy of New York. [14:17] Granddaughter of the Honorable H. Buck McKeon and Mrs. Patricia K. McKeon of California. [14:31] Marie Quayle, daughter of the Honorable Benjamin E. Quayle and Mrs. Tiffany Quayle of Arizona. [14:38] And granddaughter of the Honorable James Danforth Quayle and Mrs. Marilyn Quayle of Indiana. [14:43] Granddaughter of the Honorable John S. Tanner and Mrs. Betty Ann Tanner of Tennessee. [14:55] Ladies and gentlemen, please give a round of applause for our distinguished and junior hostesses. [15:24] For the presentation of colors by the United States Armed Forces Color Guard. [15:29] And the singing of our national anthem performed by Staff Sergeant Hannah Davis. [19:00] Rear Admiral Margaret Kibben, who will eliminate the invocation. [19:09] Would you pray with me? [19:09] Gracious and loving God, in the beauty and bounty of this room, may the brilliance of your abiding presence be upon us. [19:22] In the celebration of the birth of this nation, may we acknowledge that you are the foundation of faith that has sustained us, [19:30] and you are the author of every freedom we still enjoy. [19:34] We give thanks for the leadership of our First Lady in convening this gathering, [19:38] and for the collective vision evident in this room that calls us to serve our fellow Americans with gentleness and purpose. [19:49] Make yourself known at each table that all may share in the fellowship of the women and men whose passion for impactful philanthropy [19:57] and whose cumulative contributions to communities across this country represent the spirit of hope and purpose [20:05] woven into the fabric, not just of the Peach State, but of these United States 250 years ago. [20:14] Raise our awareness of the pressing concerns of our present day, [20:17] and inspire in each of us a deep desire to do our part in addressing causes such as cerebral palsy, [20:25] through our support of early intervention and innovative research. [20:31] Sustaining those who care for and advocate on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of children and adults across our country living with this lifelong condition. [20:41] Call upon us to come alongside them, that they may know that they are not alone on the challenging journey toward a cure, [20:52] for this is the legacy of compassion you have entrusted to us. [20:57] May we show our gratitude and our service as worthy stewards of your grace to us and to this country. [21:04] Bless them as food and fellowship nourish our souls and our bodies, [21:09] that we would be strengthened to carry forward and well into the future the wealth of love and kindness you reveal to us this day. [21:18] It's in the strength of your name we pray. Amen. [21:25] Side of the podium, Congressional Club President Leah Dunn from Florida. [21:44] The 113th First Lady's Luncheon. [21:47] In 1908, Congress chartered the Congressional Club, the only organization incorporated by an act of Congress to encourage bipartisan friendships among Congressional spouses. [22:01] More than a century later, we continue to build those connections because we believe they strengthen Congress and strengthen our nation. [22:10] Today, our 113th Luncheon continues a tradition that began in 1912 and reflects the club's enduring commitment. [22:21] Thank you to our many distinguished guests, to my Florida friends, and to my family for being here today, [22:28] especially my grandsons, Trent White and Finn. [22:32] Pleasure to work with this year's luncheon chair, my friend, Robin Allen. [22:48] Allow me to join Leah in welcoming you to the 113th First Lady's Luncheon. [22:53] Thank you from the bottom of my heart, your time until 3 o'clock this morning, and your dedication, and your teamwork made this day possible. [23:12] If you had any part in this event, please stand to be recognized. [23:17] I could not have done it without you, and I am deeply grateful. [23:34] And to our generous sponsors, thank you for your incredible support. [23:39] I want to note their names in the program and on the screen, and please thank them if you get a chance. [23:50] This has been amazing. [23:51] Your generosity makes all of this possible. [23:55] And I didn't want to say, let's give them a round of applause, but you did, so do it again. [24:00] Thank you, my wonderful friends, my lifelong friends, who have always supported me no matter what I was doing. [24:10] I am so grateful. [24:11] And of course, to those who have had to live with me for the past year, thank you for your unwavering support and your encouragement every step of the way. [24:19] My wonderful husband, Rick, our three daughters, our daughter-in-law, Elsie, and seven of our 14 grandchildren. [24:36] And granddaughter, Elsie, came all the way from Tanzania, Africa, to join us today. [24:44] And I'm so special to her. [24:45] I love you all. [24:46] We are also delighted to welcome some very special guests with us today. [24:51] Paula Deen, famous Georgian restaurant, Alvita King, a civil rights activist and good friend, Alvita. [25:18] There she is. [25:25] Scott, American designer and entrepreneur. [25:27] Thank you all for joining us. [25:37] As the theme of our lunch today is celebrating 1776 with Georgia on my mind, we are proudly honoring our First Lady, showcasing the great state of Georgia and commemorating the 250th birthday of our nation, or as some like to say, the semi-queen centennial. [25:56] We also hope today to raise awareness and support for cerebral palsy, which you will hear more about later in the program. [26:02] We Georgians are famous for our wonderful cuisine, conversations around the table, inspiring speakers, and exciting entertainment. [26:10] And we have it all today. [26:12] Thank you and enjoy the afternoon. [26:28] We are honored to welcome the Second Lady of the United States, Mrs. Chavans, a distinguished attorney, devoted mother, and a strong voice for service and community. [26:40] She brings remarkable intellect and grace to her role. [26:43] We are all so grateful she could join us today. [26:46] So please join me in welcoming the Second Lady of the United States, Mrs. Usha Banks. [26:53] Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mrs. Usha Banks, spouse of the Vice President of the United States. [27:01] Thank you all. [27:15] It is my privilege to introduce to you today a woman of many accomplishments, a devoted wife and mother, and my friend, the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump. [27:25] Serving as First Lady for two terms is no small feat, but ours doesn't with inspiring grace and poise. [27:34] The First Lady's work is extensive. [27:37] Reuniting refugee families, meeting with lawmakers to improve the foster care system, uniting the world's First Ladies to modernize educational access, [27:46] and becoming the only sitting First Lady to preside over a United Nations Security Council meeting. [27:58] It has been such a privilege to partner with the First Lady in empowering America's mothers, children, and families. [28:04] Through visiting students and military families together, I've seen her passion for education and connection firsthand. [28:11] In all of her work, she is dedicated to this nation's people and principles, and driven by her deep sense of purpose. [28:20] But in addition to carrying out her official duties, our First Lady has distinguished herself as an accomplished model, businesswoman, philanthropist, best-selling author, and now movie producer. [28:31] The First Lady's work. [28:31] The First Lady's drive, eye her beauty, and commitment to excellence permeate her life and work. [28:46] I am deeply grateful for her bold leadership and her friendship. [28:49] So please join me in welcoming to the stage, the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump. [28:55] Dr. Moon, it is a privilege to take part in this great American tradition, and a pleasure to have our Second Lady, Usha Rance, with us today. [29:50] Thank you, Usha. [29:51] I commend Chairwoman Allen, President Dunn and their entire team for bringing everyone [30:02] together to advance the greater good of our community. [30:07] America's children are our moral equals. [30:12] As parents and leaders, it is our ethical obligation to ensure our kids develop emotionally [30:19] and physically within a safe environment. [30:23] Last week, I shared this declaration with members of the prestigious Ways and Means Committee [30:31] on Capitol Hill. [30:34] We convened to advance landmark legislation to protect the foster care community. [30:41] This follows the fostering the future Executive Order signed last November. [30:48] I remain impressed by our representatives' bipartisan commitment [30:54] and I am confident this will soon become the law of the land. [30:58] When passed, this will mark the second piece of legislation I have championed for the protection [31:06] of America's next generation. [31:08] For those over the past year with discipline and focus, I have enacted several initiatives [31:29] to benefit our children. [31:32] Domestically, Fostering the Future has expanded coast to coast to roughly 33% of the states in our country. [31:42] Fostering the Future University Scholarships programs are available for individuals aging out of foster care in Georgia, [31:53] Georgia, Arizona, California, Nebraska, New York, Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Alabama, [32:03] North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. [32:12] This is the first piece of legislation that I supported within the first 100 days of this 47th Presidential Administration. [32:30] On April 7th, just a few weeks ago, the US Department of Justice secured its first conviction under the new law. [32:40] was accoladed towards HUD's 2026 budget to support housing for America's foster youth. [32:55] Representative Steve Womack and Secretary Scott Turner supported my efforts to implement this critical measure. [33:05] Progress is not granted. [33:13] You must be the composer. [33:15] Embolden your influence in the community with a strong vision to the future. [33:22] All 50 states are participating in the Presidential AI Challenge, [33:27] and almost 3,000 schools nationwide join the White House AI Workshop. [33:34] Our educators, students, and academic administrators understand the importance of mastering new technology. [33:44] Over the past two months, America sat at the intersection of youth, technology, and education [33:53] on global stage. [33:54] I'm honored to have had an opportunity to address the United Nations Security Council about the importance of peace through education. [34:05] We are not here to prepare our children for yesterday's world. [34:18] Be purposeful with your objectives and remember that AI accelerates everything. [34:27] Leaders from almost 50 nations join me at the White House and the State Department for fostering the Future Together's Global Coalition Summit. [34:40] Never before has the American First Lady welcomed so many leaders to the White House for diplomatic purpose in one day. [34:50] I'm proud that America's best technology companies, including Meta, Palantir, OpenAI, Adobe, Zoom Communications, X, and Microsoft, [35:10] had the chance to advance our mission to empower children with technology and education. [35:16] First, I completed the fourth reunification of Ukrainian and Russian children with their families. [35:30] As you can imagine, this is not an easy feat. [35:40] But I applaud leadership from both nations in working with my representative and me to bring love and safety back to each individual who has been displaced as a result of this horrible war. [35:54] I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve as First Lady, but understand that my resistance alone is not enough. [36:12] Together, we can change people's lives for the better. [36:16] Please join me in advancing the Be Best Fostering the Future Initiative nationwide. [36:23] America's children will ultimately protect our future freedom. [36:29] Thank you. [36:30] Thank you. [37:09] Okay. [37:11] You may sit down. [37:14] I thought, yes, I do have a little help here. [37:16] Okay. [37:20] Now I've got to get through this. [37:22] One in approximately 345 children in the United States, sorry, is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. [37:30] That is nearly one child every hour. [37:33] For our family, those numbers became deeply personal on Labor Day in 2016, when our 12th grandchild, Hampton, was born. [37:43] Her mother, our daughter Robin Ann, went into labor eight weeks early due to a serious condition, and we nearly lost her during childbirth. [37:51] It was a frightening time for our family. [37:53] While Hampton appeared healthy at first, it soon became clear she wasn't meeting development milestones, and at 18 months, she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, likely caused by a stroke in utero. [38:06] Raising a child with cerebral palsy brings complex medical challenges. [38:11] For Hampton, nine years, and counting, of diapers and wipes, years of therapies, countless medical appointments, specialized equipment, and hurdles most families never have to consider. [38:24] But it is also a journey of resilience, strength, and extraordinary love. [38:30] As chair of the First Lady's Luncheon, Hampton is the reason I chose to highlight and raise awareness for United Cerebral Palsy and Aparo Academy. [38:39] Organizations like United Cerebral Palsy play a vital role in supporting children like Hampton and families like ours, advancing care, resources, and awareness across the country. [38:51] We are honored today to have with us today Diane Willish, Interim Director of United Cerebral Palsy. [38:58] 2019 Aparo Academy opened its doors and changed everything for Hampton and her family through their care and expertise. [39:20] They taught us so much about how to navigate the challenges of raising a child with cerebral palsy. [39:27] And the progress Hampton has made has been nothing short of life changing. [39:32] I would like to recognize Jennifer Jones, founder of Aparo Academy in Augusta, Georgia. [39:38] Thank you all out there. Your presence here today means more than you know. [39:53] It supports families like ours and gives children like Hampton the opportunity to thrive. [39:59] For that we are truly grateful. Thank you for being here and helping to shine a light on this important cause. [40:05] Now please turn your attention to the screen as we share a brief glimpse into Hampton's journey. [40:12] Across our nation, children wake up fighting battles most of us will never see. [40:22] Don't tell them. [40:25] The most popular disability in childhood. [40:27] Nationally here are the one in 345. [40:29] Almost half a million kids in the state report highest rates in the country. [40:41] With nearly four children requiring antithesis therapy. [40:46] That is what Perry Avenue says. [40:53] Therapy front chairs, single nurses, and therapists work side by side so that children with complex medical and industry they thrive. [42:28] Thank you so much. [42:29] Okay. [42:30] Mrs. Trump, it is a true honor to have you with us today. [42:36] We are delighted to present a special gift and it's on the other side. [42:41] If you can see it in just a second. [42:44] It's a painting and it's by the exceptionally talented Georgia artist, Steve Penley. [42:50] And I have asked Hampton's older sister, Riley Kate, to help Steve unveil his beautiful work. [43:02] If you look on the other side. [43:04] Thank you again, Ms. Trump. [43:05] We are going to unveil it and we appreciate Ms. Trump for joining us today and for all she does to help make this country a better place. [43:14] There we go. [43:39] Mrs. Vance. [43:41] Mrs. Vance, as we celebrate 250 years of our nation's founding, it's especially meaningful to welcome a new generation. [43:50] So on behalf of the Congressional Club, I'm pleased to present this blanket for your baby with our warmest congratulations. [43:57] Mrs. Trump and Mrs. Vance, please help me thank them for coming today. [44:09] Please be seated. [44:10] Mr. Vance, please be seated. [45:41] Mr. Vance, please be seated. [45:42] Mr. Vance, please be seated.