First lady Melania Trump, who hasn't been seen in public for an official engagement since just after Christmas, returned to the spotlight Tuesday night for the State of the Union speech – and for a second year in a row she took a separate car to the Capitol.
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The first lady left the White House early and ahead of President Donald Trump after hosting a reception in the Diplomatic Room for their special guests invited to sit with her in the House gallery during the speech.
Trump also traveled separately to the Capitol last year so she could spend more time with the guests. And, as she did last year, she also hosted another meet-and-greet with them at the Capitol.
Mrs. Trump knows this is an important night, and wants to ensure the experience of her guests is special, and that they feel comfortable," spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham told CNN.
Trump wore an inky military-style dress, a stark contrast to the many female Democratic lawmakers who wore white in honor of women's suffrage. The Trumps invited a dozen special guests, including Alice Johnson, the prison inmate who was granted clemency by President Donald Trump at the urging of Kim Kardashian.
Also invited, in keeping with her low-key anti-bullying campaign: Joshua Trump, a sixth grader from Wilmington, Delaware, who is no relation to the Trump family but has been bullied in school because of his last name, according to the White House.