Mrs. Trump’s remarks were delivered at the White House to about two dozen spouses of governors visiting Washington to meet with President Trump. At just over three minutes, the remarks amounted to a lengthy speech for a first lady who has not offered more than a few public words in months, and spent much of the winter shielding herself and her 11-year-old son, Barron, from view.

Mrs. Trump, who recently traveled with her husband to Florida to meet with two victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was light on details but voiced a willingness to address school safety and the opioid epidemic.

“As a parent, I cannot imagine the kind of grief and tragedy like that brings,” Mrs. Trump told the governors’ spouses, who had gathered in the Blue Room for lunch on Monday.

Many of the students have called for more restrictive gun control measures than Mr. Trump and most congressional Republicans have been willing to endorse. Their push has resulted in tense moments with lawmakers, as when students heatedly questioned Senator Marco Rubio of Florida last week at a forum and one survivor tearfully pleaded with Mr. Trump at the White House last week to ban weapons like the one used in the Parkland shooting.

The East Wing has not unveiled a significant policy initiative, but Mrs. Trump recently hired a policy director who could push any nascent plans forward. In the past, Mrs. Trump has given few clues as to where she may focus her efforts, but she has also publicly expressed interest in helping children affected by the opioid crisis, advocating anti-bullying measures and aiding disaster relief efforts.