Melania Trump has claimed she is the “most bullied person in the world” during a new interview in which the first lady discusses her anti-cyberbullying campaign, Be Best.

“I could say I’m the most bullied person in the world,” Ms Trump told ABC News during her recent trip to Africa. The first lady said her personal experiences with bullying was what ultimately led her to take on the issue as part of her platform in the East Wing.

ABC News chief national affairs correspondent Tom Llamas seemed taken aback by the statement. “You’re really the most bullied person in the world?” He asked the first lady.

“One of them,” she said, “if you really see what people saying about me”.

The first lady added: ”That’s why I, you know, my ‘Be Best’ initiative is focusing on social media and online behaviour. We need to educate the children of social emotional behaviour so when they grow up they know how to deal with those issues.”

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Ms Trump launched her “Be Best” initiative in May, which focuses on children’s social and emotional wellbeing while promoting awareness on the impact cyberbullying has on youth.

“We can and should teach social and self-awareness, positive relationship skills and responsible decision making,” the first lady said at the time. “Let us teach our children the difference between right and wrong, and encourage them to Be Best in their individual paths in life.”

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The campaign had a slow start but has since picked up as the first lady toured a children’s hospital in Nashville as her first US trip to highlight the initiative outside of Washington.