Melania Trump's 'Be Best Initiative' Is Not All Her Initiative

WASHINGTON, DC — First Lady Melania Trump’s staff is downplaying reports that her “Be Best” initiative combating cyberbullying and promoting well-being issues was lifted from an Obama-era Federal Trade Commission publication. Mrs. Trump announced her signature initiative in a ceremony at the White House Rose Garden on Monday.

“The controversy is over a pamphlet the FTC approached us about and asked if we would pass it out during our launch,” the first lady’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, told Patch. “The launch did not come from the pamphlet.

“People sadly are trying to align her with a previous administration,” Grisham said.

Mrs. Trump’s multi-pronged Be Best initiative focuses on childhood well-being, social media and opioid abuse.. The publication in question, “Chatting with Kids About Being Online,” includes an introduction from the first lady, but other than that, closely mirrors the booklet published by the FTC in 2014, when Barack Obama was president.

Screenshots by Slate showed a subtle difference in how the White House represented the publication on its website. The original wording said it was “a booklet by First Lady Melania Trump and the Federal Trade Commission.” The second version said the booklet is a FTC publication “promoted” by the first lady.

It’s not the first time Mrs. Trump has been accused of repurposing Obama-era statements. Passages from her speech at President Trump's 2016 nominating convention in Cleveland, Ohio, appeared to have been cribbed from Michelle Obama’s address to the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

The first lady provided few specifics about how the Be Best initiative would move forward, but said it would be a public awareness campaign encouraging parents and other adults to teach children how to be good citizens by being kind, refraining from bullying on social media and elsewhere, and staying away from drugs.

“If we truly listen to what our kids have to say, whether it be their concerns or ideas, adults can provide them the support and tools they need to grow up to be happy and productive adults who contribute positively to society and their global communities,” Mrs. Trump said.

In her introduction to the FTC pamphlet, Mrs. Trump wrote:

“The lessons in this booklet can help kids act thoughtfully and kindly. I hope you will use it to have conversations with children about appropriate conduct online and about using social media responsibly. The internet — and technology in general — are powerful forces for good. I believe that, together, we can make a real difference in encouraging positive behavior online.”

The pamphlet helps reinforce the message behind the first lady’s Be Best initiative, said Nathaniel Wood, the associate director of the FTC’s Consumer and Business Education Division. His office frequently asks officials to share its publications when they fit with programs and initiatives, he said.

“We frequently work with members of Congress, the White House, other government agencies, and the private sector. As a small and independent civil law enforcement agency, the FTC encourages our partners to help spread our message to consumers,” Wood said in a statement. “We were excited that Mrs. Trump distributed this important information about staying safe online. We look forward to continuing to work with her and others to help parents and children use the Internet safely and responsibly.”

Grisham said in a statement that “some media have chosen to take a day meant to promote kindness and positive efforts on behalf of children, to instead lob baseless accusations towards the First Lady and her new initiatives.”

“Our office will continue to focus on helping children and I encourage members of the media to attempt to Be Best in their own professions, and focus on some of the children and programs Mrs. Trump highlighted in her remarks yesterday.”

The explanation is similar to those offered in 2016 after Mrs. Trump addressed the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. At the time, then-Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort brushed away criticism that she plagiarized Mrs. Obama.

"We're comfortable that the words she used are words personal to her," Manafort said at a press briefing at the convention center. "To think that she would be doing anything that would be unnoticed is absurd."

He criticized the media's focus on "50 words" in a 1,400-word speech, saying Mrs. Trump was unfairly criticized.

My parents impressed on me the values: that you work hard for what you want in life. That your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise. That you treat people with respect. They taught me to show the values and morals in my daily life. That is the lesson that I continue to pass along to our son. And we need to pass those lessons on to the many generations to follow. Because we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.

Eight years earlier, Michelle Obama said:

And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you're going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them. And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and pass them on to the next generation. Because we want our children — and all children in this nation — to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.

Image: First Lady Melania Trump speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House May 7, 2018, in Washington, D.C. Mrs. Trump outlined her new initiatives as first lady during the event. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)