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33 photos show how Melania Trump has evolved as first lady
33 photos show how Melania Trump has evolved as first lady
Ellen Cranley,Ellen CranleyJul 19, 2019, 23:32 IST
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Melania Trump.Win McNamee/Getty Images
President Donald Trump's campaign was a family affair, with his eldest daughter Ivanka leading the charge.
Though his wife Melania spent the first few years of her husband's political career out of the spotlight, she has emerged as one of the most closely watched figures in the White House.
When President Donald Trump entered the White House, many speculated that his daughter and senior adviser Ivanka Trump would take on the traditional role that a first lady fills - hosting events, championing causes, standing at the president's side.
First lady Melania Trump stayed back in New York while their son Barron finished the school year, and Ivanka was much more visible at first. Melania didn't move to the White House until June 2017.
Two years later, Melania has cemented herself as a constant presence in Americans' lives.
The first lady has planned state visits, hosted children's groups, and celebrated holidays in the "People's House." But with more visibility has come more scrutiny, and Melania has had her share of controversies.
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Here's a look back at Melania's first two years in the White House.
Despite being pregnant with her third child, Ivanka initially took the lead as a more vocal figure on the campaign trail while Melania, a self-described "full-time mom" took care of the Trumps' 10-year-old son.
Melania took center stage at the glamorous inauguration ball.
Melania carried out her first official engagement with Donald when they hosted the Japanese first couple at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
She was also notably pictured at his side with female lawmakers in the Oval Office when he signed a bill to promote women's education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Though the first lady was present for the bill's signing, it was Trump's daughter and adviser Ivanka who appeared to spearhead the initiative, reportedly telling press ahead of the ceremony she believed it is "vital" that young "students become fluent in coding and computer science."
Ivanka and Melania were side-by-side for the Trump administration's visit to the Vatican in May 2017.
In June 2017, Melania finally moved to the White House, and Ivanka focused on her role as White House adviser.
A few weeks after she arrived in Washington, Melania accompanied the president to Europe, where they had a press-heavy Bastille Day celebration with French President Emmanuel and first lady Brigitte Macron.
In August 2017, Melania accompanied the president to the site of Hurricane Harvey. On the way, Melania drew widespread criticism for looking out of touch after she was pictured boarding a plane in heels.
Following the lead of previous first ladies, Melania has hosted several public events at the White House. She made headlines when she continued former first lady Michelle Obama's tradition of hosting student groups for gardening on the White House's South Lawn.
To celebrate Halloween, the Trumps got in the spirit as they handed out candy to children and military families who visited in costume on the South Lawn.
But she made a stunning return to Washington for the president's first State of the Union, sporting a suit many pointed out shared the #MeToo movement' signature color.
White clothing has also been associated with women's suffrage.
After an unannounced surgery in May, Melania disappeared for several weeks and sparked concern, speculation, and conspiracy theories, all of which she and her spokesperson denied.
Melania then came into the crosshairs of the Trump administration's controversial policy of separating families at the US-Mexico border after she sparked criticism and confusion when she wore this jacket while in transit to a Texas immigration detention center.
After the jacket incident, Melania took a second trip to the border, which the president said she returned from "really saddened by the plight of the people" at the border.
At Trump's 2019 State of the Union, Melania found herself back in the political spotlight after turning up in black for the speech, sharply contrasting female Democrats who wore white to honor suffragists.
While presiding over the all-American July 4 celebration that included military tanks, Melania raised eyebrows when she wore a rainbow dress and shoes instead of the expected red, white, and blue.
When she visited a field of American flags that represented orphaned children, many of whom lost their parents to the opioid crisis, the first lady added a touching personal side to her patriotic duties.
