Melania Trump's Comments About Technology Empowering Children Drew Applause in the Room and Backlash Online: 'That is Empowering?'

First Lady Melania Trump addressed nearly 2,000 guests at the 113th annual First Lady's Luncheon in Washington on Thursday, speaking about her foster care initiative and making remarks about technology's influence on children that quickly drew online attention.

Both projects focus on supporting and assisting children, a central concern the first lady has prioritized during President Donald Trump’s second term. Second Lady Usha Vance also attended the luncheon, welcoming Melania to the podium.

Addressing the audience, Mrs. Trump emphasized the importance of preparing American youth to navigate rapidly changing technology as they enter the workforce, according to Irish Star. "As parents and leaders, it is our ethical obligation to ensure our kids develop emotionally and physically within a safe environment", she said, repeating a point she had made to the House Ways and Means Committee days earlier.

Usha Vance welcomed Melania Trump to the podium and shared that she is “deeply” grateful for the first lady’s “bold leadership” and “friendship.” Trump then said, “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.”

Melania's assertion that technology empowers children was met with skepticism from social media users. At the "Fostering the Future Together" Global Coalition Summit, the first lady acknowledged "best-in-class" tech firms—such as Meta, OpenAI, Microsoft, and X—for their contribution in advancing her mission, per Fox News.

The first lady said the companies had been given an opportunity to go beyond their commercial interests and empower the next generation through personalized AI-driven education.

"I'm glad that America's best technology companies, including Meta, Palantir, OpenAI, Adobe, Zoom, X, and Microsoft, had the chance to advance our mission to empower children with technology and education," she said.

She highlighted that the participation of these tech giants served as a "catalyst for discovery." She said that while these firms offer what she called the resources of the "Age of Imagination," it is the joint endeavor with the administration that guarantees these technologies promote critical thinking and "human significance" instead of just delivering quick solutions.

Users on X called out the first lady for her comments, with one saying, "Grok spreading lies and undressing minors in AI images is exactly the kind of enrichment that the GOP likes."

Another stressed the addiction of children to their iPads, writing, "Empower? Gluing little children to their ipads to scroll through m---nic addictive shorts day in and day out when they could spend that time socializing for real, learning through actual experience, h*ll maybe reading an actual book... that is empowering?"

The remarks build on President Donald Trump's April 2025 executive order promoting artificial intelligence education for young Americans.