03/03/2026, 07:4203/03/2026, 07:42
A few days after the start of the Israeli-American attacks on Iran, Melania Trump became the first first lady to chair a meeting of the UN Security Council. In her speech, the 55-year-old said things like “Peace doesn’t have to be fragile.” The USA is committed to all children around the world, Trump further emphasized. “I hope that you will soon have peace.”
Melania Trump during her appearance on Monday.Image: keystone
She did not explicitly mention the military conflict in the Middle East. The former model chaired a meeting of the most powerful UN body on children, technology and education in conflict situations. The First Lady’s assumption of the chairmanship was met with some criticism.
This month, the USA took over the rotating chairmanship of the most important UN body, which also includes chairing the meetings. UN ambassadors or government representatives usually lead the meetings of the 15-member body. Until now, the supporting program of United Nations events has mostly been reserved for their partners. During the 2017 UN General Assembly program, for example, Melania Trump gave a short speech at a luncheon that also focused on education and the protection of children.
Here Melania speaks to the UN Security Council:
Video: watson/x
Why is the First Lady taking the chair?
The First Lady chaired the meeting was welcomed by the UN. A spokesman for Secretary General António Guterres said in advance that it was a sign of the USA’s appreciation for the Security Council. The appearance comes against the backdrop of a tense relationship between the government of US President Donald Trump and the United Nations. Trump has repeatedly described the organization as ineffective in the past and has caused his country to withdraw from numerous UN organizations. According to the UN, the USA still owes the organization many billions of dollars.
In addition to a series of surprised reactions to the first lady’s chairmanship, the move was also sharply criticized. A columnist for the British Guardian, for example, saw this as a deliberate attempt to expose the UN. Melania Trump has held back from public appearances in the past, but has recently been increasingly seeking publicity, for example with her documentary project “Melania”.
Iran’s UN ambassador criticized the timing of a meeting on such a topic and again accused the US and Israel of being responsible for an attack on a school that killed many children. Israel had rejected the accusation. “At this point we are not aware of any Israeli or American attacks there,” said Israeli military spokesman Nadav Shoschani.
First official visit after “escalator gate”
Her husband’s harsh criticism of the UN in particular raised the question of the First Lady’s motives for chairing the meeting. The fact that Donald Trump’s third wife sometimes takes positions or sends signals that do not coincide with those of her husband is not new. Some observers suspect a strategy of the Trump couple’s communication mix behind this.
It was also the First Lady’s first official visit to the building after the so-called escalator gate: the US President and his wife climbed onto an escalator when they arrived at the UN General Assembly in September, which then stopped abruptly. The incident angered President Trump so much that he subsequently called for those responsible to be “arrested.” Results of a preliminary investigation showed that a built-in safety mechanism at the top of the escalator had been triggered, according to the UN.
This time, Melania Trump, accompanied by US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, rode the same escalator after arriving at the UN headquarters in eastern Manhattan – without incident. She then shook the hands of the ambassadors of the other 14 countries currently represented there as a greeting in front of the Security Council and smiled and posed for a photo together. The First Lady closed the subsequent meeting with the sentence: “I wish you all a lot of strength in maintaining peace in the world.” (dab/sda/dpa)