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CANTON, GA. – Second lady Usha Vance hailed first lady Melania Trump as a “role model” and a “trailblazer” on Thursday when asked about Mrs. Trump’s attention-getting “peace letter” earlier this week to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I have admired her approach to a lot of things, but at the top of the list she really does care about children,” Ms. Vance told Fox News Digital.
The second lady was traveling to the Cherokee Classical Academy in Canton, Georgia, as she continued her 2025 Summer Reading Challenge program for kids. (See the video at the top of this article.)
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“She cares about their welfare,” said Ms. Vance of Melania Trump. “And I think every time that she uses her voice to tell people how important it is to keep children safe and to make sure that they grow up happy and healthy, it’s a good thing.”
She added, “So I see that as a role model.”
Second lady Usha Vance reads to children at Cherokee Classical Academy Schools on Thursday, Aug. 21, in Georgia, continuing her 2025 Summer Reading Challenge for children. She said she “admires” first lady Melania Trump for, among other things, her unwavering dedication to children. (Ashley J. DiMella/Fox News Digital)
The letter sent by Mrs. Trump told the Russian leader that “it is time” to protect children and future generations around the globe. It was exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital.
The letter was hand-delivered before the U.S.-Russia summit with President Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday.
“I really admire that.”
“I don’t have a specific letter or anything I am planning on writing at this time, but she’s a trailblazer in that respect,” said Ms. Vance about Melania Trump.
“I really admire that.”
“I don’t have a specific letter or anything I am planning on writing at this time, but she’s a trailblazer in that respect,” said Ms. Vance, left, about first lady Melania Trump. “I really admire that.” (Ashley J. DiMella/Fox News Digital)
“Dear President Putin,” the first lady’s letter began, as Fox News Digital reported earlier.
“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.”
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“As parents, it is our duty to nurture the next generation’s hope,” the letter continued.
“As leaders, the responsibility to sustain our children extends beyond the comfort of a few.”
Usha Vance is pictured on Thursday with schoolchildren in Georgia as part of her reading initiative for kids. “She uses her voice to tell people how important it is to keep children safe and to make sure that they grow up happy and healthy,” Ms. Vance said in part about first lady Melania Trump. (Ashley J. DiMella/Fox News Digital)
“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,” said the letter.
“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.”
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The first lady continued that “in today’s world, some children are forced to carry a quiet laughter, untouched by the darkness around them — a silent defiance against the forces that can potentially claim their future.”
She added, “Mr. Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter.”
Second lady Usha Vance, left, and Melania Trump, first lady. “Each generation’s descendants begin their lives with a purity — an innocence which stands above geography, government, and ideology,” wrote Mrs. Trump in her “peace letter” to Putin. (Getty Images)
“In protecting the innocence of these children, you will do more than serve Russia alone — you 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,” she wrote. “It is time.”
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The second lady’s 2025 Summer Reading Challenge began in June. The initiative has been encouraging America’s schoolchildren to read books all summer long, keep track of their progress and reap the benefits of reading.
The second lady visited three different classrooms, watching lessons on writing and math.
Ms. Vance on Thursday read “Paul Revere’s Ride” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to a room of 200 students before taking questions.
Usha Vance hands out bookmarks at a children’s school in Canton, Georgia, Aug. 21, 2025. (Ashley J. DiMella/Fox News Digital)
The second lady visited three different classrooms, watching lessons on writing and math. She greeted dozens of students along the way.
Her Summer Reading Challenge ends on Sept. 5.
Brooke Singman and Max Bacall, both of Fox News Digital, contributed reporting.