At Tribute to Another First Lady, Melania Trump Calls Families ‘Foundation of a Healthy Society’

First lady Melania Trump elevated the important role that families and the home play within society at the unveiling of former first lady Barbara Bush’s U.S. postage stamp on Thursday.  

“Strong American families are the foundation of a healthy society and served as a steppingstone towards building a better world,” the first lady told a crowd seated in the East Room of the White House.  

“The dynamics within American households shape our nation’s core values, strengths, and collective wisdom,” Trump said. “It is within the privacy of our homes that the principles of morality, ambition, and empathy take root.”  

Standing beside a large poster of Bush’s Postal Service stamp, Trump praised the former first lady for being a “devoted mother” and leaving an undeniable mark on U.S. history. She was the wife of President George H.W. Bush and the mother of President George W. Bush and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

“Mrs. Bush’s legacy is marked by her respect for tradition, while also breaking with convention,” she said. “While she is known for championing literacy, she also supported women's empowerment, changed the national conversation on AIDS, and took a stand supporting gay rights.” 

A photo of the former first lady holding a baby with AIDS at a hospice for children in 1989 is one of the most iconic images of Barbara Bush. First lady from 1989 to 1993 and a mother of six, she was well known for championing children’s literacy.  

As Trump noted, Bush, who died in 2018, called for America to elect a female president.  

“Who knows?” Trump said, “Somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who will one day follow in my footsteps and preside over the White House, and I wish him well,” she said as laughter was heard across the room.  

Earlier on Thursday, the first lady hosted an event at the White House honoring military mothers. America’s military moms are “filled with stories of personal sacrifice, determination, loss, and healing,” she said. “Certainly, only military mothers have experienced this level of grace and resilience, of American life.”