Melania has reportedly said she knows Trump contributes to cyberbullying - and the White House is encouraging her to back off the issue
- First lady Melania Trump is reportedly fully aware of the irony surrounding her campaign against cyberbullying and has privately acknowledged that her husband is part of the problem.
- The White House has urged her to choose another issue to champion, according to a report from The Washington Post, but she remains convinced it's the "right" thing to do.
- "We have to find a better way to talk to each other, to disagree with each other, to respect each other," the first lady said at a meeting with social media and tech executives at the White House in March.
First lady Melania Trump is reportedly fully aware of the irony surrounding her campaign against cyberbullying and has privately acknowledged that her husband is part of the problem.
The Washington Post reported that she's been heard saying that she knows the president has contributed to the tone of today's conversation online.
And the White House has urged her to choose another issue to champion, according to The Post, but she remains convinced that fighting cyberbullying is the "right" thing to do.
In March, Melania held a meeting with executives from top social media and tech companies at the White House and said she understood why some were "skeptical" of her campaign against cyberbullying.
"I am well aware that people are skeptical of me discussing this topic," the first lady reportedly said at the time. "I have been criticized for my commitment to tackling this issue, and I know that will continue."
"But it will not stop me for doing what I know is right," she reportedly added. "We have to find a better way to talk to each other, to disagree with each other, to respect each other."
Stephen Balkam, the founder and CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute, attended the March meeting and said Melania's comments were "remarkable."
"I was pleased that she addressed the elephant in the room," Balkam added.
President Donald Trump is notorious for his use of Twitter, where he frequently attacks his political opponents and often picks insulting nicknames for them in the process.