Thursday afternoon at the White House, first lady Melania Trump is scheduled to take the podium for remarks prior to President Donald Trump at an announcement to officially declare the opioid crisis in America a public health emergency.
A White House official told CNN the first lady’s speech will “have a very personal tone,” and reflect the stories of the people she has met who have been personally affected by opioid addiction and “what they have taught her.”
Trump has recently shown an interest in using her platform as first lady to advocate for children and families whose lives have been affected by addiction. Last month, she led her first policy roundtable discussion at the White House on the topic, attended by addiction experts, families changed by the crisis, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is chairman of President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.
In October, Trump traveled to Huntington, West Virginia, to visit Lily’s Place, a facility that provides medical care to infants born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.