Melania Trump: Youth Speaking Out About Shootings ‘Deserve a Voice’

Melania Trump
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Penny Starr

First lady Melania Trump spoke to the spouses of the nation’s governors at the White House on Monday about the aftermath of the Florida high school attack that claimed the lives of 17 people, saying she has seen the strength of the human spirit and that she supports the teenagers who are speaking out.

“In my year as first lady, I have also learned that it is oftentimes after a tragedy that you see strength and resilience of the human spirit,” Trump said.

“I have been heartened to see children across this country using their voices to speak out and try to create change,” Trump said. “They are our future and they deserve a voice.”

CNN reported that since the mass shooting, teenagers are lobbying for “gun control.” Some from the Florida school are planning a  protest in Washington, DC, on March 24.

“President Donald Trump has called for specific action following the shooting, including comprehensive background checks, raising the purchasing age for some guns to 21, and ending the sale of bump-fire stocks, devices that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire at a faster pace,” CNN reported.

One of the survivors in Florida, Lauren Hogg, tweeted directly to the first lady about Donald Trump Jr. liking a tweet about her father coaching her brother, David Hogg, to speak out against President Donald Trump, according to CNN.

“Hey @FLOTUS you say that your mission as First Lady is to stop cyber bullying. Well then, don’t you think it would have been smart to have a convo with your step-son @DonaldJTrumpJr before he liked a post about a false conspiracy theory which in turn put a target on my back,” Hogg tweeted.

The first lady also spoke about challenges facing young Americans, including cyberbullying and the opioid epidemic, which she has signaled will be part of her FLOTUS platform.

“It is important that as adults, we take the lead and the responsibility in helping our children manage the many issues they are facing today,” Trump said. “This means encouraging positive habits with social media and technology, even limiting time online and understanding the content they are exposed to on a daily basis.”

Trump asked the governors’ spouses to help her promote “kindness, compassion, and respect in our children.”

“I am asking you all to join me today and commit to promoting values such as encouragement, kindness, compassion, and respect in our children,” Trump said.

“With those values as a solid foundation, our kids will be better equipped to deal with many of the evils in our world today, such as drug abuse and addiction and negative social media interactions,” Trump said.

CNN previewed the first lady’s event on Monday as one in which she would “emerge to give remarks,” after weeks of media wall-to-wall speculation about her husband’s alleged affairs.

But Trump’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said the ongoing reporting on affairs and discord between the president and first lady is “fake news.”

“BREAKING: The laundry list of salacious & flat-out false reporting about Mrs. Trump by tabloid publications & TV shows has seeped into “main stream media” reporting. She is focused on her family & role as FLOTUS – not the unrealistic scenarios being peddled daily by the fake news.”

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