Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.
A scene in a documentary about Melania Trump captures her entering the room while Donald Trump rehearses his inaugural address.
When he recites the phrase "my proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker," she offers a direct edit.
"Peacemaker and unifier," she tells her husband to say instead.
Yet it is the first lady who has recently been credited with bringing six days of calm to a war-torn city in southern Ukraine—a rare diplomatic engagement in an active conflict by an American first lady. Two days after Republican midterm losses shifted public attention away from the president, Melania Trump hosted Russian and Ukrainian diplomats at the White House to acknowledge the temporary ceasefire.
The engagement reflects a broader surge in public appearances for a first lady often viewed as one of the most private figures to inhabit the role, coming ahead of the Nov. 20 launch on Prime Video of Melania: The Series, a continuation of her documentary released in January.
On Thursday, the first lady traveled to Alabama to address members of the U.S. military, marking her third major public outing since the election.
