WASHINGTON — First Lady Melania Trump revealed on Friday that she has been in frequent contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of an effort to reunify Ukrainian children displaced by the Russia-Ukraine war. Her efforts have reunited eight Ukrainian children with their families.
“President Putin and I have had an open channel of communication regarding the welfare of these children,” the first lady explained, sharing that Putin responded to her August plea to help the children with his own letter, and willingly agreed to engage with her. “For the past few months, both sides have participated in several back channel meetings and calls, all in good faith.”
“Each child has lived in turmoil because of the war in Ukraine,” she said. “Three were separated from their parents and displaced to the Russian Federation because of frontline fighting. The other five were separated from family members across borders because of the conflict, including one young girl who has now been reunited from Ukraine to Russia.”
Some of the children displaced by the war have turned 18 as the war has dragged on, and are living in Russia as adults, she said. She also wants to help these young people, though their situations require more “coordinated assistance,” saying: “Russia has agreed to rejoin the individuals who have turned 18 within a short period of time.”
<div id="attachment_984371" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/melania-trump-persuaded-putin-to-help-her-reunite-children-displaced-during-russia-ukraine-war/first-lady-melania-trump-announces-russia-us-working-to-reunify-children-during-war-2" rel="attachment wp-att-984371"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-984371" class="wp-image-984371 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2239713218-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2239713218-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2239713218-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2239713218-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2239713218.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>U.S. First Lady Melania Trump arrives to make an announcement in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, October 10, 2025. Photographer: Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
“My ongoing mission is twofold,” the first lady said: “to prioritize and optimize a transparent, free flow of health-related information surrounding all children who have [fallen] victim to this war, and to facilitate the reunification of children with their families until each individual returns home.”
Melania Trump’s mission to help Ukrainian children affected by the war <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/melania-trump-sent-peace-letter-to-putin-ahead-of-alaska-summit">began when she gave a letter to her husband</a> to hand-deliver to Putin when Donald Trump met the Russian president at their summit in Alaska on August 15. In her letter, she begged Putin to protect the innocence of children across the world, telling Putin that in doing so, he would “do more than serve Russia alone,” but “serve humanity itself.”
“Such a bold idea transcends all human division, and you, Mr. Putin, are fit to implement this vision with a stroke of the pen today. It is time.”
The emotional appeal was effective.
“A child’s soul knows no borders, no flags,” she said Friday at a presser with reporters at the White House. “We must foster a future for our children which is rich with potential, security and complete with free will. A world where dreams will be realized rather than faded by war.”
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a>
In her letter to Putin, Trump had appealed to the infamous world leader as a parent, writing: “Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart, whether born randomly into a nation’s rustic countryside or a magnificent city-center. They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger.”
“As parents, it is our duty to nurture the next generation’s hope,” she wrote. “As leaders, the responsibility to sustain our children extends beyond the comfort of a few. Undeniably, we must strive to paint a dignity-filled world for all — so that every soul may wake to peace, and so that the future itself is perfectly guarded.”
Her letter specifically stressed the protection of children’s innocence.
“A simple yet profound concept, Mr. Putin, as I am sure you agree, is that each generation’s descendants begin their lives with a purity — an innocence which stands above geography, government, and ideology,” she wrote.

US First Lady Melania Trump speaks during an announcement in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. Photographer: Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Melania Trump Persuaded Putin To Help Her Reunite Children Displaced During Russia, Ukraine War

Melania Trump

Russia

Ukraine

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were greeted by King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Catherine, Princess of Wales when they arrived for an official state visit to the United Kingdom on Wednesday. 
Prince William and Catherine greeted the Trumps on castle grounds during the ceremonial arrival.
Trump said to the princess by way of greeting, “You’re beautiful, so beautiful.”
<div id="attachment_973377" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-973377" class="size-large wp-image-973377" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trumps-with-Prince-and-Princess-of-Wales-768x576.jpg" alt="Trumps with Prince and Princess of Wales" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trumps-with-Prince-and-Princess-of-Wales-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trumps-with-Prince-and-Princess-of-Wales-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trumps-with-Prince-and-Princess-of-Wales.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />Aaron Chown &#8211; WPA Pool/Getty Images</div>
Multiple photos and videos show the president and first lady riding in a carriage to Windsor Castle.
<div id="attachment_973385" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-973385" class="size-large wp-image-973385" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Procession-864x576.jpg" alt="Military procession" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Procession-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Procession-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Procession-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Procession.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Andrew Matthews &#8211; WPA Pool/Getty Images</div>
The president and first lady’s carriage was escorted into the Windsor Castle courtyard by British military servicemen and horses. There is also a joint U.S.-U.K. military flyover planned.
<div id="attachment_973383" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-973383" class="size-large wp-image-973383" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage-2-864x576.jpg" alt="State visit" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage-2-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage-2.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Chris Jackson/Getty Images</div>
President Trump was invited by King Charles III, Prince William’s father, for a state visit that will run from Wednesday through Thursday.
<div id="attachment_973381" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-973381" class="size-large wp-image-973381" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage-864x576.jpg" alt="State visit" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images</div>
The president and King Charles III later <a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-trump-state-visit-king-charles-9e888f6d58da8765ab7e0775d11fb350">toured</a> the Royal Collection Display, which included five tables of artifacts on U.S.-British relations, featuring 18th-century watercolors and documents concerning the United States’ claim of independence from King George III, according to the AP.
<div id="attachment_973391" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-973391" class="size-large wp-image-973391" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-and-King-Charles-864x576.jpg" alt="Trump and King Charles" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-and-King-Charles-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-and-King-Charles-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-and-King-Charles-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-and-King-Charles.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images</div>
King Charles and Camilla gave the Trumps several gifts, including a handbound leather volume celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the Union Flag, which flew on the day of Trump’s inauguration, the outlet noted.
<div id="attachment_973393" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-973393" class="size-large wp-image-973393" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Windsor-Castle-864x576.jpg" alt="Windsor Castle" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Windsor-Castle-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Windsor-Castle-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Windsor-Castle-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Windsor-Castle.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Chris Jackson/Getty Images</div>
President Trump previously visited the United Kingdom in 2019. He is the first U.S. president ever invited to Britain for a second state visit.
<div id="attachment_973389" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-973389" class="size-large wp-image-973389" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-864x576.jpg" alt="President Trump" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool via Getty Images</div>

UK Hosts President Trump And First Lady Melania Trump For State Visit – Day Two

SEE IT: Stunning Photos From Trump’s Historic Royal Welcome In The U.K.

Donald Trump

Global Politics

Kate Middleton

King Charles III

Politics

Prince William

United Kingdom

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were treated to full royal honors in the United Kingdom on Wednesday, riding by carriage to Windsor Castle and welcomed by King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Catherine, Princess of Wales.
The president and first lady&#8217;s carriage was escorted into the Windsor Castle courtyard by British military servicemen on horseback. A total of 1,300 servicemen and 120 horses took part in the welcoming ceremony, The New York Post reported. The pageantry will also include a joint U.S.-U.K. military flyover.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
WHAT A SIGHT! Carriages for <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a>, and Their Majesties arrive at Windsor Castle in a remarkable welcome for the unprecedented second state visit of President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/NAgxH5XAia">pic.twitter.com/NAgxH5XAia</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968278594318483482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As the Trumps arrived at the historic castle, the &#8220;Star-Spangled Banner&#8221; was played.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
The Star-Spangled Banner is played for <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> upon their arrival at Windsor Castle with Their Majesties. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/4wcie2Nt3L">pic.twitter.com/4wcie2Nt3L</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968278962691588144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After being greeted by the king, Trump also took part in the inspection of the Guard of Honor.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and His Majesty The King proceed with the Inspection of the Guard of Honor at Windsor Castle
🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/Z4Ox6bnd4q">pic.twitter.com/Z4Ox6bnd4q</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968281249728094397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The visit on Wednesday marks the second time Trump has been welcomed to the U.K., following his official state visit in June 2019. Trump is the first U.S. president ever invited to Britain for a second state visit.
The Trumps are scheduled to dine with the royal family at a banquet at Windsor Castle later on Wednesday. Before the banquet, Trump and the first lady will visit St. George’s Chapel and lay a wreath at the tomb of the late Queen Elizabeth II. On Thursday, Trump is expected to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, the prime minister&#8217;s country estate, where the two leaders will <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-us-announce-tech-energy-deals-during-trump-visit-2025-09-14/">sign</a> multiple tech and energy deals and hold a press conference.
“My relationship is very good with the U.K., and Charles, as you know, who’s now king, is my friend,” Trump said on Tuesday before departing the White House.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a>, together with Their Majesties, make their way into Windsor Castle.🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/u9gzZ2rr8o">pic.twitter.com/u9gzZ2rr8o</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968283385597726991?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump&#8217;s U.K. state visit comes just days after more than 100,000 protesters <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/london-unite-the-kingdom-rally-organized-by-far-right-activist-tommy-robinson/">filled the streets</a> of London, led by Right-wing activist Tommy Robinson, calling for the British government to stop welcoming influxes of Muslim migrants. Protesters carried British flags and St. George&#8217;s red-and-white flag of England, chanting, &#8220;We want our country back!&#8221;
Trump has criticized Europe&#8217;s liberal immigration policies in the past, but he recently praised the U.K. for taking a &#8220;stronger stance.&#8221;
“On immigration, you better get your act together, or you&#8217;re not going to have Europe anymore,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37T_oXEKj5g">warned</a> last month while in Scotland, adding, &#8220;You gotta stop the horrible invasion that&#8217;s happening to Europe, many countries in Europe.&#8221;
The president has also blasted European countries for relying on windmills for energy, arguing that they are ineffective and harming the continent&#8217;s natural beauty.
While Trump received a royal welcome at the castle, not everyone in the U.K. was happy to see the U.S. president. Some people gathered in London to protest Trump&#8217;s visit. The demonstrators carried anti-Trump and anti-Israel signs, while some waved Palestinian flags. On Tuesday night, activists projected images of the Trumps alongside convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on the walls of Windsor Castle, the Associated Press <a href="https://x.com/AP/status/1968279704982425726">reported</a>. Four people were arrested.
British political commentator Piers Morgan, however, <a href="https://x.com/piersmorgan/status/1968290069888029043">said</a> that the anti-Trump protests in London and Windsor were significantly smaller than the protests that emerged during Trump&#8217;s 2019 visit.
&#8220;Barely any anti-Trump protests in Windsor or London… very different mood to his last state visit, and very revealing about changing attitudes to the President second time round,&#8221; Morgan wrote on social media.

Trump Welcomed To Windsor Castle With Royal Carriage Procession For Unprecedented Visit

Executive

U.K.

America is in a global artificial intelligence (AI) race. The stakes are historically high with economic and national security implications. As President Trump <a href="https://x.com/DavidSacks/status/1949249312363626843">declared</a> in July, “Whether we like it or not, we are suddenly engaged in a fast-paced competition to build and refine this groundbreaking technology that will determine so much about the future of civilization.”
The President, First Lady, and the Trump Administration are taking decisive steps to ensure America is prepared and positioned to win one of the most consequential competitions among nations in modern history, determining future global dominance.
On Thursday, First Lady Melania Trump hosted a meeting of the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education. Michael Kratsios, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, serves as the chair of the task force. Other members include the Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Labor, Secretary of Education, Secretary of Energy, Director of the National Science Foundation, Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, Special Advisor for AI and Crypto, Assistant to the President for Policy, and Assistant to the President for the Office of the First Lady.
<div id="attachment_969609" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-969609" class="size-large wp-image-969609" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2233064229-865x576.jpg" alt="Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc., from left, US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation, during a dinner with tech leaders in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. Trump said he would be imposing tariffs on semiconductor imports &quot;very shortly&quot; but spare goods from companies like Apple Inc. that have pledged to boost their US investments. Photographer: Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images" width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2233064229-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2233064229-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2233064229-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2233064229.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
The task force is providing vital leadership for implementing the actions outlined in the “<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/advancing-artificial-intelligence-education-for-american-youth/">Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth</a>” executive order, signed into law by President Trump on April 23. As the executive order <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/advancing-artificial-intelligence-education-for-american-youth/">states</a>, the President and First Lady recognize that “to ensure the United States remains a global leader in this technological revolution, we must provide our Nation’s youth with opportunities to cultivate the skills and understanding necessary to adapt to and thrive in an increasing digital society.” K-12 education and workforce development training are foundational avenues for this to occur.
Students need to not just learn about artificial intelligence; education in America must be modernized to incorporate this rapidly advancing technology, thereby personalizing and enhancing student learning.
While artificial intelligence tools are the latest form of student academic dishonesty, they cannot be excluded from the learning process in the future based on fear. Students must be taught and held accountable for the appropriate use. Developers are designing educational technology tools that strengthen critical thinking and other essential cognitive skills — enhancing rather than supplanting learning — to meet the quickly accelerating market demand.
With clarity and candor, the Trump Administration has <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/advancing-artificial-intelligence-education-for-american-youth/">cast the vision</a> for charting a strategic path forward: “Early learning and exposure to AI concepts not only demystifies this powerful technology but also sparks curiosity and creativity, preparing students to become active and responsible participants in the workforce of the future and nurturing the next generation of American AI innovators to propel our Nation to new heights of scientific and economic achievement.”
As part of promptly putting this plan into action, First Lady Melania Trump recently launched the <a href="https://www.ai.gov/initiatives/presidential-challenge">Presidential AI Challenge,</a> which aims to cultivate interest and expertise in artificial intelligence technology among elementary through high school students and educators. Mrs. Trump beautifully <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Presidential-AI-Challenge-Guidebook-for-Participation.pdf">articulates</a> that the “President’s National Artificial Intelligence Challenge invites every student in America — from kindergarten to 12th grade — to unleash their imagination and showcase the spirit of American innovation.” Speaking directly to students, she explains, “our extraordinary educators will guide and empower you through this process to build a brighter, stronger future for us all.”
Acknowledging that America’s K-12 education institutions are largely unprepared to step into this moment, the Trump Administration has created crucial public-private partnerships to provide resources and advanced technological expertise and tools necessary to bring this vision into reality. Already, over 135 companies and organizations have signed the “<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/edai/">Pledge to America’s Youth: Investing in AI Education</a>.”
Google CEO Sundar Pichai <a href="https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/ai-education-efforts/">announced</a> at the White House Task Force meeting that $150 million of the company’s $1 billion pledge, made in August, will support education and workforce training through AI education grants. This includes $2 million to the Flourish Fund, which provides financial support for nonprofit organizations that assist foster care youth with workforce development tools as they age out of the system. Additionally, it includes $3 million for Code.org to incorporate artificial intelligence features into its curriculum.
Winning the AI race isn’t merely aspirational. The Trump Administration is working with undeniable resolve because winning the AI race is imperative for ensuring the American Dream remains alive and thriving for future generations.
In January, the President hit the ground running, signing the “<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/removing-barriers-to-american-leadership-in-artificial-intelligence/">Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence</a>” executive order. In July, the White House released the “<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Americas-AI-Action-Plan.pdf">Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan</a>.” These executive orders are key, setting the stage to advance artificial intelligence nationwide through accelerating innovation, building infrastructure, and leading the world in diplomacy and security. The action plan <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/07/white-house-unveils-americas-ai-action-plan/">asserts</a>, “Winning the AI race will usher in a new golden age of human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security for the American people.”
President Trump has proven he can win, is winning, and will never stop working to win for the American people. And in the race for AI, as in every fight for America’s future, his leadership is driving our nation not only to lead the world, but also to secure a new era of strength and prosperity.
* * *
<a href="https://www.discovery.org/p/ingraham/">Dr. Keri D. Ingraham</a> is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute, Director of the American Center for Transforming Education, and a Senior Fellow at Independent Women’s Forum.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

First Lady Melania Trump Hosts White House Task Force On AI Education

The First Lady’s Undeniable Resolve To Win The AI Race

Artificial Intelligence

Bill Gates

Education

Opinion

Schools

Silicon Valley

Technology

White House

Multiple Big Tech leaders, including some who have opposed President Donald Trump in recent years, joined the president for a White House dinner on Thursday and praised him for his “pro-business, pro-innovation” actions.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman both thanked Trump at the presidential dinner that was also attended by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, IBM CEO and Chairman Arvind Krishna, and Oracle CEO Safra Catz.
“I want to thank you for setting the tone such that we could make a major investment in the United States and have some key manufacturing, advanced manufacturing here,” Cook told Trump. “I think that says a lot about your focus and your leadership and your focus on innovation. I also want to thank you for helping American companies around the world. This is a really key thing, and I really enjoy working with your administration on those topics as well.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/Apple?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Apple</a> CEO <a href="https://twitter.com/tim_cook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tim_cook</a>: &#8220;I want to thank you for setting the tone such that we could make a major [$600 billion] investment in the United States&#8230; That says a lot about your focus and your leadership and your focus on innovation.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/289vkiB6vy">pic.twitter.com/289vkiB6vy</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1963786061114417495?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Since Trump took office in January, Apple has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/apple-announces-500b-investment-in-u-s-plans-to-build-ai-server-factory-in-texas">announced</a> $600 billion of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-scores-another-win-apple-to-pump-100-billion-more-into-u-s-economy">investments</a> in the United States, including plans to build an artificial intelligence server factory in Texas and start a new manufacturing program that will focus on bringing more of Apple’s supply chain to the United States.
Altman, the head of OpenAI, also praised Trump, saying, “Thank you for being such a pro-business, pro-innovation president. It’s a very refreshing change. We’re very excited to see what you’re doing to make all of our companies and our entire country so successful.”
“The investment that’s happening here, the ability to get the power of the industry back, I think that’s going to set us up for a long period of great success leading the world,” Altman added. “And I don’t think that would be happening without your leadership.”
Altman said that he believes the expansion of the AI industry in the United States “will transform the world in a profound way.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/OpenAI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OpenAI</a> CEO Sam Altman: &#8220;Thank you for being such a pro-business, pro-innovation President. It&#8217;s a very refreshing change&#8230;The investment that&#8217;s happening here, the ability to get the power of the industry back&#8230; I don&#8217;t think that would be happening without your leadership.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/suGDIJFlx8">pic.twitter.com/suGDIJFlx8</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1963787418429018457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
President Trump praised the “high IQ” group of tech titans, adding, “The most brilliant people are gathered at this table.”
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who recently had a public falling out with Trump, stated that he was also invited to the dinner but was unable to attend.
“I was invited, but unfortunately could not attend. A representative of mine will be there,” Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1963624123998896368">posted</a> on his social media platform, X.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates was also in attendance, seated next to first lady Melania Trump, while Zuckerberg sat to the right of the president. Some conservatives, including pro-Trump activist Laura Loomer, were enraged that Gates and Zuckerberg got an invite to the dinner.
“Zuckerberg and Gates belong in prison. Not at the dinner table with President Trump,” Loomer <a href="https://x.com/LauraLoomer/status/1963770145358143598">wrote</a> on X. She said that the tech executives are two “of the biggest funders of anti-Trump and leftist activism in our country,” arguing that Zuckerberg helped rig the 2020 election against Trump.
During the dinner, Zuckerberg <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1963776213945897399">announced</a> that Meta plans to invest “at least $600 billion” in the United States in the coming years to build out data centers and infrastructure to power the next wave of innovation.”
Catz, the head of Oracle, told Trump that “AI is going to change everything.”
“The fact that you are our President and you recognized this right away, and you’ve unleashed American innovation and creativity, all the work your doing and basically every Cabinet post in addition to what’s coming out of the White House is making it possible for America to win,” she added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/Oracle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Oracle</a> CEO Safra Catz: &#8220;AI is going to change everything&#8230; The fact that you are our President and you recognized this right away, and you&#8217;ve unleashed American innovation and creativity&#8230; is making it possible for America to WIN.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/gWfrUHhc9R">pic.twitter.com/gWfrUHhc9R</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1963791984394408239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Before the dinner, some of the tech executives — including Altman, Pichai, and Krishna — attended a roundtable hosted by the first lady, which focused on AI in education. Google and OpenAI, along with Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, and Nvidia, also announced commitments to investing in AI education on Thursday, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-tech-ceo-rose-garden-dinner-1fee2de3">reported</a>.

President Trump Holds Dinner For Tech And Business Leaders At The White House

‘A Very Refreshing Change’: Tech CEOs Praise Trump During White House Dinner

Apple

Mark Zuckerberg

Microsoft

Sam altman

Tim Cook

Vanity Fair may go ahead with a magazine cover featuring First Lady Melania Trump in the coming months — but only if the feat can be pulled off before all the disgruntled employees walk out the door.
According to a <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/08/24/2025/vanity-fairs-new-cruise-director-will-have-to-choose-between-his-reporters-and-his-friends">report</a> published by Semafor on Sunday, the magazine&#8217;s new global editorial director Mark Guiducci had indicated a desire to put the first lady on the cover — but as The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/media/article-15032959/Vanity-Fair-Melania-Trump-cover.html">reported</a> a day later, his staffers may not be entirely onboard with his plan.
&#8220;I will walk out the motherf***ing door, and half my staff will follow me,&#8221; one editor told the outlet.
Another staffer who did not give a name appeared to be in agreement, adding, &#8220;We are not going to normalize this despot and his wife; we’re just not going to do it. We’re going to stand for what’s right. If I have to work bagging groceries at Trader Joe’s, I’ll do it. If [Guiducci] puts Melania on the cover, half of the editorial staff will walk out, I guarantee it.&#8221;
One employee told The Daily Mail that the outrage was likely to amount to little more than a few loud complaints and protests, saying that it wasn&#8217;t likely many would actually sacrifice their careers to make a political statement about who was on the magazine&#8217;s cover.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=summer&amp;utm_content=editorialsummersale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">End of Summer Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
&#8220;It’s all talk. If they put her on the cover, people will protest and gripe about it, but I don’t see anyone quitting such a prestigious job over that. Honestly, there will be people who push back, but it’s ultimately Mark’s decision. He’s the one who will sink or swim over that choice, not the rest of us.&#8221;
The first lady may not mind if she never makes it to the cover, however, if her <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/26/media/vanity-fair-employees-lash-out-over-proposed-melania-trump-cover/?utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter">last comments on the subject</a> still stand. When the magazine passed over her for a cover during Trump&#8217;s first administration — despite featuring former First Lady Michelle Obama on several occasions — she brushed off questions about it and said that it wasn&#8217;t important.
&#8220;Look, I’ve been there on the covers — on the cover of Vogue, on the covers of many magazines before,&#8221; Trump said, referencing her days as a model and then as Trump&#8217;s wife prior to him running for president. &#8220;We have so many other important things to do than to be on the cover of any magazine. I think that life would not change for anybody if I’m on the cover.&#8221;

US-VOTE-MELANIA TRUMP

Vanity Fair Floats Melania Cover — If Their Employees Don’t All Quit First

Vanity Fair Floats Melania Cover — If Their Employees Don't All Quit First

Fashion

magazine

Media

Vanity Fair

First Lady Melania Trump sent what is being called a &#8220;peace letter&#8221; to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of his meeting in Alaska with President Donald Trump, where they discussed what steps needed to be taken to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The president, according to a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/first-lady-melania-trumps-peace-letter-putin-it-time">report</a> published Saturday by Fox News Digital, hand-delivered the missive — and the Russian leader read it prior to the much-touted summit on Friday.
In the letter, the First Lady called on Putin to be the one to take the first steps toward lasting peace with Ukraine, saying that children — regardless of where they happened to have been born — deserve better than countries and families torn apart by war.
<blockquote>Dear President Putin,
Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart, whether born randomly into a nation’s rustic countryside or a magnificent city-center. They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger.
As parents, it is our duty to nurture the next generation’s hope. As leaders, the responsibility to sustain our children extends beyond the comfort of a few. Undeniably, we must strive to paint a dignity-filled world for all—so that every soul may wake to peace, and so that the future itself is perfectly guarded. 
A simple yet profound concept, Mr. Putin, as I am sure you agree, is that each generation’s descendants begin their lives with a purity—an innocence which stands above geography, government, and ideology.</blockquote>
Trump went on to tell Putin that, should he finally put an end to the bloodshed, he would be able to restore the laughter of many children. &#8220;In protecting the innocence of these children, you will do more than serve Russia alone—you serve humanity itself,&#8221; she added.
&#8220;Such a bold idea transcends all human division, and you, Mr. Putin, are fit to implement this vision with a stroke of the pen today,&#8221; she concluded. &#8220;It is time.&#8221;
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=summer&amp;utm_content=editorialsummersale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=summer&amp;utm_content=editorialsummersale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent">End of Summer Sale &#8211; Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Following the summit, President Trump said that he felt confident the pair had made progress — although he cautioned that the negotiations were certainly not yet over.
&#8220;There were many, many points that we agreed on, most of them, I would say. A couple of big ones that we haven&#8217;t quite gotten there, but we&#8217;ve made some headway. So, there&#8217;s no deal until there&#8217;s a deal,&#8221; he said.
Trump announced via Truth Social on Saturday morning that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would travel to Washington on Monday, and if their meeting went well, he would broker another meeting that also included Putin.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/RtC9wBBtim">pic.twitter.com/RtC9wBBtim</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1956718970951635391?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

US-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY-WOMEN

Melania Trump Sent ‘Peace Letter’ To Putin Ahead Of Alaska Summit

Melania Trump Sent 'Peace Letter' To Putin Ahead Of Alaska Summit

Alaska

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Former President Joe Biden&#8217;s embattled son Hunter Biden had a blunt, two word response to first lady Melania Trump&#8217;s threatened $1 billion defamation suit over comments he&#8217;d made suggesting that she had ties to the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein: &#8220;F*** that!&#8221;
Channel 5&#8217;s Andrew Callaghan, who gave the interview in which Biden made the offending claims, shared video on Thursday of Biden&#8217;s reaction to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/melania-threatens-hunter-biden-with-1b-lawsuit-false-defamatory-disparaging">threat of a lawsuit</a>.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fs9v0sdZixs?si=u3StpAbB3zg51N96" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Callaghan introduced the video posted Thursday by splicing in clips of Biden&#8217;s offending comments — and then turned the question over the Biden, saying that perhaps he was giving him the platform to apologize as the first lady had demanded.
&#8220;F*** that,&#8221; Biden laughed, and then after a brief pause, &#8220;That&#8217;s not going to happen.&#8221;
The younger <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/youve-chosen-to-book-spectacle-chuck-todd-unloads-on-media-outlets-platforming-hunter-biden">Biden</a> had claimed during a YouTube interview with Channel 5’s Andrew Callaghan that &#8220;Epstein introduced Melania to Trump. The connections are, like, so wide and deep.&#8221; He later added, according to the complaint, &#8220;Jeffrey Epstein introduced Melania, and that’s how Melania and the first lady — and the president met.&#8221;
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=summer&amp;utm_content=editorialsummersale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">End of Summer Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Alejandro Brito, attorney for Melania Trump, sent a letter demanding an apology and threatening a lawsuit to Hunter Biden and his attorney, Abbe Lowell, on August 6.
&#8220;These false, disparaging, defamatory, and inflammatory statements are extremely salacious and have been widely disseminated throughout various digital mediums,&#8221; Brito wrote. &#8220;Indeed, the video has since been re-published by various media outlets, journalists, and political commentators with millions of social media followers that have disseminated the false and defamatory statements therein to tens of millions of people worldwide.&#8221;
&#8220;Consequently, you have caused Mrs. Trump to suffer overwhelming financial and reputational harm,&#8221; Brito continued, threatening a $1 billion defamation suit if the demands were not met.
&#8220;Failure to comply will leave Mrs. Trump with no choice but to pursue any and all legal rights and remedies available to her to recover the overwhelming financial and reputational harm that you have caused her to suffer,&#8221; he wrote.
Brito also noted that The Daily Beast, another outlet that had published the same claims based on information published by &#8220;serial fabulist Michael Wolfe,&#8221; had already apologized.
&#8220;The timing of this video is evident and underscores the actual malice behind the decision to publish it given the plain falsity of the statements,&#8221; Brito addressed Biden directly. &#8220;Given your vast history of trading on the names of others—including your surname—for your personal benefit, it is obvious that you published these false and defamatory statements about Mrs. Trump to draw attention to yourself.&#8221;

Hunter Biden

Hunter Biden Gives Two-Word Reply To First Lady Over Threatened $1 Billion Lawsuit

Courts

Lawsuit

First lady Melania Trump has threatened to sue Hunter Biden for $1 billion over claims the Biden scion made about Trump regarding the late, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Attorneys for Trump sent a letter demanding Biden retract statements he made about the first lady regarding Epstein in an interview on Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan and published on YouTube earlier this month. The letter accused Biden of causing “overwhelming financial and reputational harm” to the first lady.
“This correspondence serves as a demand … that you immediately retract the false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements made about Mrs. Trump,” the letter says. The interview “has since been re-published by various media outlets, journalists, and political commentators with millions of social media followers that have disseminated the false and defamatory statements therein to tens of millions of people worldwide. Consequently, you have caused Mrs. Trump to suffer overwhelming financial and reputational harm.”
The letter, sent by Alejandro Brito, Trump’s litigation counsel, quotes two comments from Biden in the video in which he claims that Epstein first introduced Trump to President Donald Trump. In the video, Biden cites an article published on The Daily Beast written by “serial fabulist” Michael Wolff.
“Following receipt of our cease-and-desist demand letter just a week ago, The Daily Beast issued an apology to Mrs. Trump and retracted the false and defamatory statements contained in the Article by deleting it in its entirety,” Brito wrote. “Despite this, you have unjustifiably relied upon Mr. Wolff&#8217;s false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements about Mrs. Trump and maliciously elected to republish them.”
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=summer&amp;utm_content=editorialsummersale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">End of Summer Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Biden must issue a public retraction of his comments and an apology to Trump, according to the letter. The message also tells Biden to save all evidence and communications related to the claims and the interview.
If the letter’s demands are not met, “Mrs. Trump will be left with no alternative but to enforce her legal and equitable rights, all of which are expressly reserved and are not waived, including by filing legal action for over $1 Billion Dollars in damages. You are on notice,” the letter says.
Biden appeared on the YouTube news show Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan twice in videos published on July 21 and August 5. The July <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBbkt2vYC4M&amp;t=4278s">interview</a> ran for roughly three hours and has racked up over 3.6 million views. The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4WCtYDtgbM">video</a> released in August is shorter, running just over one hour, and has amassed nearly 1.2 million views. The offending comments appeared in the August video.

Melania Threatens Hunter Biden With $1B Lawsuit: ‘False, Defamatory, Disparaging’

Jeffrey Epstein

After he reportedly made the scurrilous claim that first lady Melania Trump had been introduced to her husband, Donald, by the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, her legal team sent Democratic strategist James Carville a message, prompting a public apology.
On the Politics War Room podcast hosted by Carville, in a recent discussion with leftist writer Judd Legum, Carville made the accusation, according to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14980601/melania-trump-james-carville-donald-trump-jeffrey-epstein.html">The Daily Mail</a>. A video from the podcast was released titled “The Epstein Connection: Trump and Melania.”
But after the missive from Melania’s lawyer, Carville issued this statement: “In last week’s podcast episode, we spoke with Judd Legum. After the episode, we received a letter from Melania Trump’s lawyer. He took issue with our title of one of those YouTube videos from that episode and a couple of comments I made about the First Lady.”
“We took a look at what they complained about, and we took down the video and edited out those comments from the episode,” the message continued. “I also take back these statements and apologize.” The video was deleted
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/cNMb5xawxW">pic.twitter.com/cNMb5xawxW</a>
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/MELANIATRUMP/status/1953487584719417361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In late July, The Daily Beast removed an article that contended a modeling agent connected to Epstein introduced the first lady to her husband.
“The article, which detailed claims made by author Michael Wolff on a Daily Beast podcast, was replaced with an editor’s note apologizing ‘for any confusion’ after the first lady’s lawyers contacted the lefty outlet,” The New York Post <a href="applewebdata://99A5E016-B396-48AA-9D31-2AF1EB6DEB04/v">reported</a>.
“She’s introduced by a model agent, both of whom Trump and Epstein are involved with. She’s introduced to Trump that way,” Wolff alleged. “Epstein knows her well.”
“After this story was published, The Beast received a letter from First Lady Melania Trump’s attorney challenging the headline and framing of the article. After reviewing the matter, the Beast has taken down the article and apologizes for any confusion or misunderstanding,” he outlet stated.
In her 2024 memoir, Melania stated that she met Trump in September 1998 at a Fashion Week party at the Kit Kat Klub in New York City, writing, “I saw my friend wave at someone behind me. When I turned around, I noticed a man and an attractive blonde woman approaching us,” Melania wrote. “‘Hi. I’m Donald Trump,’ the man said when he reached my table.”

MixCollage-08-Aug-2025-10-19-AM-8220

Melania Trump Puts Dem Strategist In His Place After Scurrilous Epstein Smear

Fake News

James Carville

President Donald Trump, along with first lady Melania Trump, traveled to Central Texas on Friday, one week after sudden catastrophic flooding swept through multiple counties, killing at least 121 people and destroying homes and businesses.
The president and first lady flew into San Antonio and then <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1943722271979221181">boarded</a> Marine One, which took them 60 miles northwest to Kerrville, Texas, the small town that took the brunt of the flooding last week. Of the 120 people who have been reported dead throughout the state, 96 of them — including 36 children — were killed in Kerr County, where Kerrville is the county seat.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> arrive at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas <a href="https://t.co/bqv0xsvGTX">pic.twitter.com/bqv0xsvGTX</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1943720900508950614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
More than 170 people are still missing in the region as search teams comb the devastated area. Responders are still searching for five young girls who were attending Camp Mystic and one counselor, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-floods-missing-people-death-toll-climbs/">reported</a>.
&#8220;As a nation, we mourn for every single life that was swept away in the flood, and we pray for the families that are left behind,&#8221; Trump said at a press conference with emergency responders in Kerville, alongside Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. &#8220;It&#8217;s amazing, the incredible spirit from those families. I don&#8217;t even know they do it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;As a nation, we mourn for every single life that was swept away in the flood and we pray for the families that were left behind.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/SCN4YvuPDh">pic.twitter.com/SCN4YvuPDh</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1943761609114935592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The president said that before the press conference, he and the first lady &#8220;spent a lot of time with&#8221; the families of victims. Trump also praised the first responders who saved hundreds of lives in the flood.
Over the weekend, Trump <a href="https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20250706/president-donald-j-trump-approves-major-disaster-declaration-texas">declared</a> a major disaster in Texas, allowing federal assistance to flow to the state.
“Nobody ever saw a thing like this coming,” Trump <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/trump-plans-tour-texas-flood-damage-scope-disaster-123666823">told</a> NBC News on Thursday. &#8220;This is a once-in-every-200-year deal.”
Floodwaters rose over 30 feet in an hour in some areas along the Guadaloupe River, giving many people staying near the river over the July Fourth holiday weekend little to no chance to evacuate before the water overtook them. At Camp Mystic, a Christian girls&#8217; summer camp in Kerr County, the devastation was unfathomable, with 27 campers and counselors dying in the flooding.
In the aftermath of the flooding, the Trump administration has faced criticism for cuts to the National Weather Service (NWS), with some Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), questioning whether an understaffed NWS sent flood warnings too late for many people in the path of the disaster. The White House <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-pushes-back-nws-criticism-texas-flooding/story?id=123544699">shot back</a> at such criticism. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier this week, &#8220;Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning.&#8221;
The National Weather Service Employees Organization, which represents NWS employees, also pushed back against allegations that Trump&#8217;s staffing cuts hindered the service&#8217;s ability to issue timely warnings.
“The WFOs [weather forecasting offices] had adequate staffing and resources as they issued timely forecasts and warnings leading up to the storm,” <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/national-weather-service-nws-staff-cuts-trump-budget-texas-floods-rcna217139">said</a> Tom Fahy, the president of the NWS Employee Organization.
In a statement to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-pushes-back-nws-criticism-texas-flooding/story?id=123544699">ABC News</a>, the National Weather Service added, &#8220;Flash Flood Warnings were issued on the night of July 3 and in the early morning of July 4, giving preliminary lead times of more than three hours before warning criteria were met.&#8221;

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump

Trump Tours Texas Flood Zone As Death Toll Reaches 121

Disasters

Floods

Severe Weather

Texas

U.S.

President Donald Trump plans to travel to Texas on Friday to meet with victims of the devastating Fourth of July weekend flooding that led to at least 110 deaths. 
The president will be joined by first lady Melania Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, he confirmed during a Tuesday cabinet meeting. Parts of the Texas Hill Country along the Guadalupe River were hit with sudden flash floods and more than 170 people are still missing. 
&#8220;I&#8217;ll be going down on Friday with the first lady and we will be taking a trip. And we don&#8217;t want to get in anyone&#8217;s way because, you know, it&#8217;s what happens. The president goes, and everyone&#8217;s around focused. I don&#8217;t want anyone to focus on us,&#8221; Trump said. 
First responders are still searching for potential survivors as Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott said Tuesday that 161 people were missing in Kerr County and another 12 throughout other impacted areas. Emergency responders have rescued at least 850 people. 
&#8220;They could have somebody saved still,” Trump said. “And, you know, probably unlikely at this point, but that could be. I mean, they&#8217;re thinking there could be the possibility, but, what a tragic situation.”
Trump also stated that the relationship between federal responders and Texas first responders was very good, noting that numerous federal helicopters were deployed to assist local rescuers.  
Earlier this week, Trump approved a major disaster declaration for Texas, and top administration officials have moved to offer federal help to the region.
 Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared a public health emergency on Tuesday to surge healthcare resources to the region. The Department of Housing and Urban Development also announced a 90-day foreclosure moratorium on Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured single-family mortgages in Kerr County.
Dozens of children attending Camp Mystic, a Christian girls&#8217; camp in Kerr County, died in the flooding. Five girls and one counselor are still missing, according to an update provided on Tuesday. Flood victims included 8-year-old campers Renee Smajstrla and Eloise Peck, 19-year-old camp counselor Chloe Childress, and the camp’s 74-year-old director, Dick Eastland.
Other young victims include twin sisters Blaire and Brooke Harber, who were <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/sisters-found-hands-locked-together-following-20630269.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> 15 miles from where the flood waters washed them away from their grandparents&#8217; cabin near the Guadalupe River. Their grandparents remain missing.

Menu