Melania Trump travels to the Capitol without the president
WASHINGTON — First lady Melania Trump traveled to Capitol Hill separately from her husband, President Trump, ahead of Tuesday’s State of the Union speech.
That’s a change from last year, when the first couple made the trip up Pennsylvania Avenue in the same vehicle.
Mrs. Trump’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said the first lady went early, accompanying a group of guests for the speech whose stories amplify the president’s agenda. Grisham said the first lady and Karen Pence held an ‘‘intimate meet-and-greet’’ at the Capitol for the guests.
A White House official says Mrs. Trump is expected to ride back to the White House with her husband after the speech.
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Mrs. Trump hadn’t 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 $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.