Melania Trump will preside over the UN security council for the first time ever for a first lady, but the timing makes it deeply awkward

Melania Trump is set to make history at the United Nations. The White House has announced that the First Lady will lead a session of the UN Security Council on March 2, as the United States takes on the rotating monthly presidency of the powerful global body.

According to The Guardian, the session will focus on “Children, Technology, and Education in Conflict.” This marks the first time a sitting US First Lady has ever presided over the 15-member council. The White House stated, “Mrs Trump’s leadership will mark the first time a sitting US first lady presides over the security council, as members consider education, technology, peace, and security.”

Melania Trump has been a vocal advocate for using education to build tolerance and promote peace. She has also been actively involved in efforts to help children affected by the conflict in Ukraine, and announced in October that some Ukrainian children, reportedly taken by Russia, had been reunited with their families.

Melania’s historic role stands in sharp contrast to Trump’s long-running criticism of the UN

Usually, Security Council meetings are chaired by a nation’s UN ambassador or a senior cabinet official. While Eleanor Roosevelt once helped draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, no sitting First Lady has ever presided over a Security Council meeting, making this a clear first.

This is a notable move given President Trump’s history with the UN. He has often called the organization “ineffective” and his administration has pulled the US out of several UN-affiliated agencies, including the World Health Organization and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Trump’s fiscal promises have also faced serious scrutiny, with analysts pointing to major gaps in his spending plans.

His administration also cut funding for UN groups working with Palestinian refugees, calling their operations “irredeemably flawed.” These decisions have put the US at odds with much of the international community on global cooperation issues.

Despite this, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz expressed enthusiasm about the First Lady’s upcoming role, sharing on X, “We are thrilled to have @Flotus gavel in the US Presidency of the Security Council.” Trump has not been shy about his chaotic outbursts on social media in recent weeks, making Waltz’s measured tone stand out by comparison.

Just last week, President Trump also held the first meeting of his new “board of peace,” which many see as his own alternative to the UN. He says the initiative is aimed at settling international disputes, but it has made some global leaders nervous over concerns that the body could attempt to replace the UN altogether.