Melania Trump and Donald Trump have faced speculation about their relationship by the media in recent times.
Porn star Stormy Daniels, 39, claimed to have had an affair with the president during his marriage to Melania, causing a media frenzy and investigation.
What do recent images reveal about the couple’s relationship now?
Are the couple a united front, according to a body language expert?
Judi James told Express.co.uk: “The superficial but very powerful body language signalling from these poses between the President and the First Lady do suggest resilience as a couple in the wake of the Stormy Daniels dramas.”
Melania is physically closer to the President than in previous times, the expert claims.
She said: “Melania has previously been more than happy to distance herself physically from her husband when necessary, swatting his hand away rather than clasping it and standing rigidly away from his side.
“However, here there are several quite unusual signals to suggest the couple are keen to ‘announce’ via their non-verbal traits that these external ‘punches’ from the press are not going to have any effect.”
She believes the couple have come together after facing scrutiny from the media.
One image shows the couple side by side, looking out at a waiting crowd.
Judi explained: “Standing close as they hail the crowds, Trump’s facial expression suggests almost infantile rejection and disgust. His eyes and upper face wrinkle in what might have been a micro-gesture of resilience and even victory, his upper lip is raised and he extends his tongue from between his teeth.
“This tongue-poke expression is often a sign of victory against the odds for Trump and his style of wave, with the arm extended horizontally and palm held flat towards the audience would endorse this sentiment.”
Melania takes a complementary role here, according to Judi.
She said: “Melania keeps her torso unusually close here, flashing a perfect smile as she raises her hand in a sweeter, much less dominant and more agreeable upward palm wave.”
While posing with foreign dignitaries, Melania appears to be trying to signal togetherness, according to Judi.
Judi said: “Standing side by side for the more formal poses it looks as though Melania is putting in subtle effort to signal unity with her husband here.
“When her smile drops her eyes do seem to reflect distance and disconnect but she turns her torso in towards her husband in what could be an acted gesture of togetherness.
“Melania has often used these moments to stand apart from Trump and to attention, with her torso straight to front and arms rigid down at her sides but this inward angling and use of proximity does suggest a desire to show performed closeness.
“She even dangles her right hand down by her husband’s here in what looks like a signal of availability for a touch or hand clasp.”
Melania Trump: Five facts about the USA’s First Lady
Languages
Mum-of-one Melania can speak more languages than any other First Lady before her: English, French, German, Italian, Serbian and of course her mother tongue, Slovenian.
This also makes her the only First Lady whose first language is not English.
Religion
After Jacqueline Kennedy, Melania is the second First Lady who is a practising Catholic.
She met Pope Francis as part of a foreign tour with her husband and stepdaughter Ivanka last year.
Career
Melania was a successful model, posing for Sports Illustrated, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and GQ.
Her skills aren’t confined to print, and she appeared in a commercial for Aflac, an American insurance company, in 2005.
Family
Melania’s parents are Amalija Knavs and Viktor Knavs, and the couple live together in Washington.
She has one sister, Ines, who is reported to live in New York and work as an artist.
Charity
On May 7 2018, Melania launched her flagship campaign as First Lady, BE BEST, which The White House describes as “an awareness campaign focused entirely around the well-being of children”.
There are three main strands to the initiative: well-being, social media, and opioid abuse.
