Melania Trump criticized for ignoring coronavirus pandemic that caused 621 school closures during her PTA speech

First lady Melania Trump gave a speech on Tuesday at the annual meeting of Parent Teach Association in the Old Town neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia. But critics noted that despite causing the closure of over 600 schools in the U.S., the FLOTUS failed to address the coronavirus situation in the country.

The annual PTA Legislative Conference was attended by around 300 teachers and administrators from different parts of the country, CNN reported. But despite disrupting the U.S. educational system, Melania Trump did not mention a word about the deadly virus even as fears over its spread resulted to numerous schools being closed.

The topic was addressed by the national president of the PTA Leslie Boggs who spoke before Melania Trump. Boggs thanked the attendees for their efforts to combat the virus’ spread in their respective schools. “You are on the front lines working for millions of children and families,” Boggs said.

But when Melania Trump’s turn to speak arrived, the FLOTUS did not use the chance to address the coronavirus issue. Instead, she focused on her “Be Best” initiative and spoke on the topic of cyberbullying.

“When used properly, the internet can be a tool for good. When not used properly, it can be destructive and dangerous,” Melania said. “In many cases, social media platforms can have a negative and even deadly impact on our youth. It is sad to say that more than one in three teenagers have suffered from cyberbullying.”

According to Express, 621 schools were closed in an effort to prevent the coronavirus’ spread. As a result, 434,472 students were affected by the closures.

After she finished her speech, Melania reportedly gave a “no comments” response when asked about the coronavirus. She stuck to previously prepared remarks before exiting the event.

“It was an honor to speak at the @NationalPTA #PTALegCon today,” Melania Trump later tweeted about the event. “Our country is blessed to have hardworking parents & teachers who dedicate their lives to ensure that our nation’s youth have caring guidance for a prosperous future! #BeBest.”

However, some netizens were not impressed by how she handled the situation. “Your husband came in contact with someone who might have been exposed to #COVIDー19, why are you at this place with children?” a Twitter user named Jose commented, according to Express.

“And the teachers have to buy supplies for their students out of pocket,” another user wrote. “A concept you wouldn’t understand.”