Reuters/Mike Segar
Melania has occasionally introduced her husband at campaign events and given interviews to select media outlets, but she has rarely expressed political opinions of her own, and preferred to allow Trump's daughter Ivanka to act as surrogate for her father.
Melania will be an unusual first lady. A former model born and raised in Slovenia (formerly part of Yugoslavia), Melania is Trump's third wife, and she is 24 years his junior.
In early November, Melania gave a speech pledging to fight cyberbullying as her cause as first lady.
How did a young model growing up in a communist country end up becoming first lady of the United States? Here are some facts about her fascinating life: