State of the Union address 2018: Melania Trump arrives separately from president in break with tradition

Melania Trump wore a cream-colored Christian Dior suit to the State of the Union address
Getty Images
Tom Powell31 January 2018

Melania Trump broke with tradition to arrive at Capitol Hill without Donald Trump for the president’s first State of the Union address.

The First Lady instead rode ahead early to personally greet the guests who shared her box during the speech, which was watched by more than 40 million Americans on television.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said she arrived separately for “no reason other than she can greet the guests and he can go straight in.”

Barack and Michelle Obama arrived together for the address during each year of their tenure in the White House.

The Trumps have not been pictured together publicly since New Year’s Eve, amid speculation about the president’s previous infidelity.

It has been claimed Mr Trump had an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels in 2006, a year after marrying Melania.

However, both Ms Daniels and the White House gave denied the allegations.

Mrs Trump did not travel to Davos for the World Economic Forum last week. Her office said before the scheduled departure that Mrs Trump would not be going, citing unspecified scheduling and logistical issues

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