First Lady Melania Trump's trip comes as President Donald Trump has continued to wage war on his political opponents, often with strong language | Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images Melania Trump takes on anti-bullying cause in trip to middle school

First lady Melania Trump on Monday spotlighted prevention of school bullying, with a stop at a Michigan middle school where she chatted with students in a sixth-grade class working on an activity about social isolation and inclusion.

At her side was Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.


At one point, a group of students told Trump they've been learning to embrace their own personalities. Trump told them that "I always believe you need to treat each other with respect and compassion."

"Be yourself," she said.

She also told the kids that "I always say no drugs, no alcohol, no cigarettes, right? Because it doesn’t do any good to your brains. It just damages."

The two also visited the cafeteria at Orchard Lake Middle School in West Bloomfield, Mich., to highlight the "No One Eats Alone" campaign. The campaign encourages students to ask a friend eating alone to join them at a cafeteria table.

“By our own example, we must teach children to be good stewards of the world they will inherit. We need to remember that they are always watching and listening. It is our responsibility to take the lead in teaching children the values of empathy and communication that are at the core of kindness, mindfulness, integrity, and leadership," Trump said in a statement announcing the visit.

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Her trip comes as President Donald Trump has continued to wage war on his political opponents, often with strong language, such as recently calling Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson of Florida "wacky."

Melania Trump's communications director, Stephanie Grisham, told CNN that "Mrs. Trump is independent and acts independently from her husband."

"She does what she feels is right, and knows that she has a real opportunity through her role as first lady to have a positive impact on the lives of children," she told CNN. "Her only focus is to effect change within our next generation."