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CANTON, Ga. – Second lady Usha Vance hailed first lady Melania Trump as a “role model” and a “trailblazer” 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,” the second lady told Fox News Digital.
Ms. Vance 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,” Ms. Vance said 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.
“So, I see that as a role model.”
Second lady Usha Vance reads to children at Cherokee Classical Academy Schools on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, in Georgia, continuing her 2025 Summer Reading Challenge for children. She said she “admires” first lady Melania Trump for, among other things, her 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 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,” Ms. Vance said of 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,” Usha Vance, left, said of 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.
“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,” the letter said.
“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.
“Mr. Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter.”
Second lady Usha Vance, left, and first lady Melania Trump. (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, 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, Ga., 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 Sept. 5.
Brooke Singman, Khloe Quill and Max Bacall, all of Fox News Digital, contributed reporting.