First Lady Melania Trump Delivers Remarks at 113th First Lady's Luncheon

Office of the First Lady

First Lady Melania Trump Leads Call for Shared Commitment to Transform Lives Nationwide

The White House

April 23, 2026

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as First Lady but understand that my persistence alone is not enough. Together, we can change people’s lives for the better.” First Lady Melania Trump inspired Congressional Club Members at its 113th First Lady’s Luncheon.

Mrs. Trump used the occasion to promote her longstanding theme of unity to drive meaningful impact. Widely considered one of Washington D.C.’s most renowned traditions, the First Lady’s Luncheon brings together spouses of Members of Congress, Administration officials, business leaders, and philanthropists.

During her remarks, the First Lady highlighted a series of consequential achievements, most notably leading four reunifications of Ukrainian and Russian children with their families. “The world doesn’t move for those who stop,” exclaimed Mrs. Trump.

She emphasized her landmark White House AI Workshop, which engaged nearly 3,000 schools nationwide, underscoring her leadership at the intersection of children, technology, and education. The First Lady reaffirmed her forward-looking vision: “We are not here to prepare our children for yesterday’s world. Be purposeful with your objectives and remember that AI accelerates everything.”

The First Lady’s Luncheon commemorates a shared commitment to civic engagement. The luncheon follows First Lady Melania Trump’s visit to Capitol Hill last week where she worked with leaders from both sides of the political aisle to advance new legislation surrounding foster care. Mrs. Trump encouraged participating representatives from the House Ways and Means Committee to “come together to prioritize America’s children… stay unified, act in good faith, and keep the next generation above politics.”

In closing, First Lady Melania Trump encouraged the powerful audience to join her BE BEST Fostering the Future initiative effort to create more impact collectively. The First Lady closed, “America’s children will ultimately protect our future freedom.”

The full remarks by First Lady Melania Trump are below, as prepared for delivery.

The World Doesn’t Move for Those Who Stop

Good afternoon. It is a privilege to take part in this great American tradition, and a pleasure to have our Second Lady, Usha Vance, with us today. I commend Chairwoman Allen, President Dunn, and their entire team for bringing everyone together to advance the greater good of our community.

America’s children are our moral equals. As parents and leaders, it is our ethical obligation to ensure our kids develop emotionally and physically within a safe environment.

Last week, I shared this declaration with members of the prestigious Ways and Means Committee on Capitol Hill. We convened to advance landmark legislation to protect the foster care community.

This follows the Fostering the Future Executive Order signed last November. I remain impressed by our Representatives’ bipartisan commitment and am confident this will soon become the “law of the land.” When passed, this will mark the second piece of legislation I have championed for the protection of America’s next generation.

The world doesn’t move for those who stop. Over the past year, with discipline and focus, I have enacted several initiatives to benefit our children.

Domestically, Fostering the Future has expanded coast to coast to roughly 33 percent of the states in our country. Fostering the Future university scholarship programs are available for individuals aging out of foster care in Georgia, Arizona, California, Nebraska, New York, Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

The TAKE IT DOWN Act is the first piece of legislation that I supported within the first 100 days of this 47th presidential administration. On April 7th, just a few weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Justice secured its first conviction under the new law.

$30 million was allocated towards HUD’s 2026 budget to support housing for America’s foster youth. Representative Steve Womack and Secretary Scott Turner supported my efforts to implement this critical measure.

Progress is not granted—you must be the composer. Embolden your influence in the community with a strong vision to the future.

All 50 states are participating in the Presidential AI Challenge, and almost 3,000 schools nationwide joined the White House AI Workshop. Our educators, students, and academic administrators understand the importance of mastering new technology.

Over the past two months, America sat at the intersection of youth, technology, and education on the global stage. I am honored to have had the opportunity to address the United Nations Security Council about the importance of peace through education.

We are not here to prepare our children for yesterday’s world. Be purposeful with your objectives and remember that AI accelerates everything.

Leaders from almost 50 nations joined me at the White House and the State Department for Fostering the Future Together’s Global Coalition Summit. Never before has an American First Lady welcomed so many leaders to the White House for diplomatic purposes in one day. I am proud that America’s best technology companies, including Meta, Palantir, OpenAI, Adobe, Zoom Communications, X, and Microsoft, had the chance to advance our mission: to empower children with technology and education.

And of course, I completed the fourth reunification of Ukrainian and Russian children with their families. As you can imagine, this is no easy feat, 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.

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as First Lady, but understand that my persistence alone is not enough. Together, we can change people’s lives for the better.

Please join me in advancing the BE BEST Fostering the Future initiative nationwide.

America’s children will ultimately protect our future freedom.