10 times Melania Trump broke White House traditions and defied expectations of the first lady role

• As first lady, Melania Trump remained an enigmatic figure and strayed from White House traditions.
• She didn’t move to the White House right away in 2016 and arrived at events separately from Trump.
• She didn’t invite Jill Biden to the White House in 2020 and declined her invitation in 2024.

In many ways, Melania Trump was a traditional first lady. She wore a ball gown to the inauguration and donated it to the National Museum of American History‘s “First Ladies” exhibit. She took up the cause of children’s wellness with her “Be Best” campaign. She led White House restoration projects, renovating the Rose Garden and designing a new rug for the Diplomatic Reception Room.

However, the fiercely private first lady also remained something of an enigma and made the role her own by straying from presidential protocol and long-held White House traditions.

Melania Trump will once again serve as FLOTUS when President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated for his second, non-consecutive term in January. Having been largely absent from the 2024 campaign trail, her level of White House involvement remains to be seen.

Here’s how Melania Trump has defied expectations as first lady thus far.

The Office of Melania Trump and representatives for the Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.