It was a rare appearance in which the first lady took impromptu questions from an audience.<\/b>
\nWASHINGTON \u2014 First lady Melania Trump opened up a bit Wednesday about life in the Trump White House, where 12-year-old Barron is more interested in sports than social media, she has no inclination to make casseroles and she thinks the red topiary trees work just fine as part of her holiday decor.
Mrs. Trump spoke at a forum at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, to raise awareness about the opioid epidemic, one pillar of her \u201cBe Best\u201d initiative. It was a rare appearance in which she took impromptu questions from an audience.
The first lady said she\u2019s talked with Barron about the dangers of opioids and other drugs.
\u201cI teach him what is right, what is wrong,\u201d Mrs. Trump said. \u201cI will always tell him that drugs \u2014 they could be very dangerous and they could mess up your mind and body, and to love yourself more than you love drugs.\u201d
She had a ready response when asked about criticism of the red holiday topiaries lining the East Colonnade that some have said look creepy.
\u201cWe are in 21st century and everybody has a different taste,\u201d she said. \u201cI think they look fantastic.\u2026 In real life, they look even more beautiful.\u201d
Mrs. Trump said both she and the president have packed schedules, but they try to have dinner together in the White House and \u201cjust talk what\u2019s happened through the day.\u201d
\u201cWhen you\u2019re first lady, there\u2019s no free time,\u201d she added.
Asked if she ever gives the White House chefs a night off and heads to the kitchen to make a casserole, Mrs. Trump paused before offering: \u201cNot really. We can do that. Maybe in the future when I\u2019m a little bit less busy.\u201d
The first lady said that she knew she would be criticized about her \u201cBe Best\u201d initiative to promote healthy living and encourage kindness, respect and positive online behavior. She said Barron doesn\u2019t engage in social media because he\u2019s \u201call into sports.\u201d
She added that, for all the importance of civil behavior: \u201cSometimes you need to fight back, I\u2019m sorry.\u201d
Asked if she\u2019ll write an autobiography, the first lady said she hadn\u2019t thought it about it, but added that \u201cwhat\u2019s going on in my life\u201d could produce \u201cmany books.\u201d
One part of the first lady\u2019s \u201cBe Best\u201d initiative is about fighting opioid abuse. Nearly 48,000 people died last year from overdoses involving opioids. She stressed the importance of getting rid of the stigma associated with opioid or other substance addiction.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen joined Mrs. Trump at the event.
Azar said opioid addiction is not a \u201cmoral failing,\u201d but a \u201cmedical issue.\u201d He said fewer of the drugs are being prescribed, and that since January 2017, legal opioid prescription use is down more than 23 percent.
Nielson said her agency works to prevent illicit sources of opioids from getting into the United States. She noted legislation that President Donald Trump recently signed to help tackle the opioid crisis, the deadliest epidemic of overdoses in the country\u2019s history.
The legislation will add treatment options and get the U. S. Postal Service to screen overseas packages for a synthetic form of opioids called fentanyl that are being shipped largely from China.
\u201cMuch of the fentanyl is still coming from China through the mail,\u201d Nielsen said. \u201cAbout a pound of fentanyl can cause 150,000 deaths. That\u2019s how fatal fentanyl is.\u201d<\/p>\n