Former first lady Melania Trump had a grand entrance at the 2024 Republican National Convention on Thursday, walking out to classical music as the crowd applauded. But she broke decades of tradition by heading straight to her seat.

The nominees spouse has spoken at the event for the past 30 years, something former first lady Barbara Bush started in 1992. Donald Trump s wife spoke at the 2016 and 2020 conventions, with her first speech garnering headlines thanks to portions that were plagiarized from a 2008 speech by former first lady Michelle Obama .

Melania Trump has been largely absent from the public eye recently, despite her husbands ongoing headline-making events, from his presidential campaign to his hush money trial.