Former President Donald Trump's wife Melania Trump has made her first public appearance since narrowly dodging an assassin's bullet.
She walked alone into the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, wearing the party's red, to classical music—a stark contrast to the country and rock ballads we'd been hearing all week.
She was glossy and glamorous, looking more like she was walking a catwalk than attending a political convention. She seemed more elusive and distant than ever.
She joined him on stage after his lengthy acceptance speech, walking up to the podium just before a shower of balloons fell on the crowd of thousands. Donald Trump greeted her with a hug and the two shared a kiss on the cheek.
Then he took her hand and walked across the stage as other family members watched.
Melania Trump has broken every rule of normal American presidential politics since her husband was first elected president in 2016.
During Trump’s first term in the White House, she was a more reclusive figure than other first ladies, focusing on a narrow range of interests. The National Archives describes her as an “ambassador of kindness” and advocate for children’s issues.
And since her husband left office, she has repeatedly refused to be by his side, despite what the public expects of her.
She wasn't there when he had his mugshot taken in Atlanta. She wasn't in New York when he became the first former president to be convicted of a crime. And she wasn't there when he officially won his party's presidential nomination for the third time on Monday.
