First lady Melania Trump was honored with the “Patriot of the Year” award at the seventh annual Fox Nation Patriot Awards.
The event, held Thursday night in in Brookville, New York, “honors the nation’s unsung heroes and ordinary people achieving extraordinary goals,” per Fox News.
Trump has become an advocate for children.
“I applaud American dreamers and innovators who embrace originality,” Trump said. “Let’s embrace the spirit of ambition. Let’s celebrate everyone who dares to think differently. For it is these courageous Americans who are the heartbeat of our civilization.”
“Most innovators know —it’s lonely when you are close to the edge of imagination — whenyou have a deep belief in your own power to create new realities. This is exactly where real change begins,” she said, per a press release from the White House.
Trump also took time to speak to the cynics.
“Every breakthrough starts with one person daring to imagine what’s never been done. Her friends call it unrealistic, her family declares its ‘far-fetched’—but the human spirit moves forward anyway, turning vision into reality. One mind, one idea, one act of courage, Trump added.
She received the award a year after her husband, President Donald Trump, was honored last year when he was president-elect.
The first lady has seen some success in her work on behalf of children.
In October, she revealed that her discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin helped reunite eight Ukrainian children with their families.
Trump penned a “peace letter,” which was delivered by her husband when he met with Putin August summit in Alaska.
She also supported the “TAKE IT DOWN Act” legislation to protect children and their families from online exploitation and extortion.
In particular, the act zeros in on the non-consensual sharing of explicit images.
She secured a $25 million investment in the president’s fiscal year 2026 budget to provide housing and support for youth leaving foster care.
