First Lady Melania Trump at RNC: ‘To mothers and parents everywhere, you are warriors’

[Editor’s note: Motherly is committed to covering all relevant presidential candidate plans as we approach the 2020 election. We are making efforts to get information from all candidates. Motherly does not endorse any political party or candidate. We stand with and for mothers and advocate for solutions that will reduce maternal stress and benefit women, families and the country.]

First Lady Melania Trump took the stage during the second night of the Republican National Committee Convention, speaking to the moms of the nation from the Rose Garden.

“To mothers and parents everywhere, you are warriors,” she said, adding that her husband is fighting for mothers and families.

Women have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic fallout and the First Lady did “acknowledge the fact that since March our lives have changed drastically,” expressing sympathy to all the families of those taken by COVID-19.

“I know many people are anxious and some feel helpless. I want you to know you are not alone,” she said, thanking the professions that most often employ working moms.

“I want to extend my gratitude to all the healthcare professionals, frontline workers and teachers who stepped up during these difficult times,” she explained, later thanking military families as well.

“You are all heroes in your own right,” she explained.

The First Lady explained that she hopes we will look back on 2020 decades from now and be able to tell our grandchildren that we got through it with kindness and determination.

She also referenced the recent anniversary of the 19th Amendment and the Women’s suffrage movement, noting “we must make sure women are heard and that the American Dream continues to thrive.”

She thanked her own mother and father for helping her get to where she is today, explaining that becoming an American citizen in 2006 remains one of the proudest moments in her life. She stated that as an immigrant and a woman she values the American Dream. It inspired her to launch her BE BEST campaign, to “help ensure a better future for the next generation” by “teaching youth about their mental and physical well-being” as well as online safety and opioid abuse.

Melania Trump briefly referenced Black Lives Matter and parts of American history that many Americans are not proud of. She suggested that “while the debate rages on about issues of race, let’s focus on the strides we have made together,” before turning her attention to removing the stigma from addiction and mental health issues.

“Parents please talk to your children,” she urged, noting that suicide rates are on the rise, online bullying continues to be a concern and that she plans to continue her work with BE BEST if her husband is reelected, to help parents “talk to your children about the downside of technology and their relationships with their peers.”

On education, the First Lady noted how vital education is for a child’s development. She did not discuss early childhood education or affordable childcare specifically, but did address K-12 education: “Like my husband and the administration I will continue to support education that values the child’s individual needs.”

The First Lady noted how, in motherhood, it can feel like there are not enough hours in the day, and that even though she is more fortunate than most she still has days when she has to ask for strength, as a mom.

She also noted that “total honesty is what we as citizens deserve from our president.”

She’s not the only mom who feels that way. As Motherly has previously reported in 2020 moms are looking to elect political leaders who they see as honest and who surround themselves with competent advisors.

Time will tell who they will put their trust in later this year, and whether Melania Trump will be FLOTUS in 2021.

Earlier this month President Trump tweeted: “The ‘suburban housewife’ will be voting for me” but pollsters are not quite as confident as the President is. Recent polls by CBS News and Fox News showed more women voters are supporting Biden, with a smaller percentage supporting Trump.

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest American Community Survey shows that there are more working moms in the U.S. than mothers who could be described as housewives. Almost two-thirds of moms with kids under 18 work full-time, with 40% of working moms working in healthcare, education and social work. It’s these female voters that the First Lady addressed Tuesday night during the RNC and these female voters who will be crucial in November.