Melania Trump breaks tradition, arrives separately to the State of the Union address

First lady Melania Trump broke with long-standing tradition on Tuesday night when she arrived separately from President Trump to the U.S. Capitol for the State of the Union.

According to CNN's Kate Bennett, Melania drove without her husband from the White House to Capitol Hill where President Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address before Congress and the nation.

"Mrs. Trump is honoring her guests for the true heroes they are," a statement from the first lady's communications director Stephanie Grisham reads. "Along with their friends and families, she is accompanying them to the Capitol."

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First lady Melania Trump and the 45th president invited over a dozen special guests to attend the ceremonial speech on Capitol Hill -- including an Iraq War veteran, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent and fire prevention technician from Southern California.

Melania's solo trip across the National Mall comes as reports claim the first lady was blindsided by news surrounding the commander in chief's alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels.

The Slovenian native and former model has often been present with President Trump on trips both foreign and domestic, but she has maintained a minimal public profile where policy areas were concerned during her family's first year in the White House.

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