With all eyes on her, a poised Melania Trump took her seat in the gallery above the packed House moments before her husband delivered his State of the Union speech.
Mrs. Trump, sheathed in an all-white Dior pantsuit, had travelled to the Capitol separately from U.S. President Donald Trump after holding White House and Capitol receptions for her guests. A White House aide said the couple was expected to return together to the White House after the speech.
First ladies typically get everyone's attention when they enter the chamber for their husbands' addresses. But Mrs. Trump had not been seen in public with her husband since The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that in 2016, Trump's lawyer paid porn star Stormy Daniels US$130,000 to keep quiet about an affair she said she had with the future president. Daniels on Tuesday issued a statement denying the affair happened.
After the report, the couple's anniversary passed without public comment. Mrs. Trump abruptly cancelled plans to accompany her husband to Davos, Switzerland.
Last year, President and Mrs. Trump travelled to the speech together.
Mrs. Trump did not react as Trump began his speech with an acknowledgement of "the first lady."
