WASHINGTON — Melania Trump, the first lady, said that the reason she incorporated social media abuse into “Be Best,” her public awareness campaign on children’s issues, is that she herself is one of the world’s most high-profile victims of bullying.

“I could say I’m the most bullied person on the world,” Mrs. Trump said in an interview with ABC News that was filmed during her visit to Kenya last week.

When asked to clarify whether she indeed believed that, Mrs. Trump seemed to couch her reply.

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

As one of the most visible women in an increasingly divided country, Mrs. Trump is not exactly wrong: Each public statement she makes, whether it’s to offer words of comfort after a tragedy or to promote one of her initiatives, is met with a torrent of abuse, including hate-filled comments and racy photos from her career as a model.