Even when First Lady Melania Trump stays out of the spotlight, she manages to stir up controversy. Over the summer, when she seemed to be lying low, people started speculating about her marriage and her approach to the first lady role.
But people’s complaints don’t go away when Melania actually appears to be doing her job. She recently stirred up controversy once again when she visited an elementary school and gave the kids a controversial gift.
Melania focused on classroom tech use.
More specifically, she focused on artificial intelligence, even amid concerns about the dangers of the technology. Of course, many people have been worried about and skeptical of AI for some time now, but comments from former Anthropic safety researchers have sparked more conversations about the topic in recent days.
Meanwhile, Melania visited Mountain View Elementary School in North Carolina on Tuesday, September 15 and talked to kids about AI usage.
She encouraged the children to embrace the technology.
A reporter questioned Melania about the safety concerns many people have. In response, Melania acted like kids need to learn more about AI because it “is our future.”
“I think they need to learn we need to lead,” she said, per the Associated Press. “Of course they need to be vigilant as well. But this is our future. And we need to guide them and teach them what is available. If not, they will stay behind. And we need to be the first, in the United States, to lead.”
And via the gift she presented students with, she also encouraged them to use the technology. As part of her “Be Best” initiative, Melania revealed that she plans to give AI literacy training licenses to 1500 students in partnership with NVIDIA and StudyFetch. Additionally, she’s giving 100 robotics learning kits powered by Jetson Nano to schools in the area.
“I have a special surprise to help jumpstart that curiosity,” she told students. “Dream big and use these AI tools to build something never created before. Maybe one of you will create the next great robot. And if you do, make sure you bring it to the White House to show me!”
The controversial visit came just a day after Melania’s husband called concerns about AI a “hoax.”
Q: Have you ever used AI yourself?
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 13, 2026
Trump: Yeah, I use AI.
Q: How do you use AI?
Trump: You can use AI for a lot of things.
Q: What do you use AI for?
Trump: I don’t want to tell you that. pic.twitter.com/FkNBQGdsWe
On Monday, September 14, President Donald Trump took to social media to dismiss people’s concerns about AI. He also acted like regulations aren’t necessary because he personally can protect people. He seemed to suggest that any critiques people have of AI are part of the supposed “hoax” and “SICK conspiracy.”
“AI taking over the World, destroying Humanity, and all other things bad, is a HOAX,” Trump wrote. He also added, “The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!”
Additionally, he tried to persuade his followers that this is true by claiming that those who are worried about AI are the same people who have tried to warn people about climate change.
“The people that say AI is going to destroy the World, and that Data Centers are bad for your neighborhood, are the same people that said, just a short time ago, that the World would be extinguished by ‘Climate Change,” Trump claimed. “That HOAX never worked out for them, and now they’re on to the next one.”
Even some of his supporters aren’t really buying it.
READ NEXT: Lara Trump’s White House Dinner Story About Barron Is Raising More Questions Than It Answers
