Melania Trump seen for the first time in months

Melania Trump has ended months of speculation as to her whereabouts, appearing just prior to Donald Trump's keynote speech at the Republican National Convention.

Dressed in a red suit - a colour also taken by JD Vance's wife but notably not the white worn by the Trump children - Melania smiled as she entered the convention hall in Milwaukee.

She has not appeared with her husband during this campaign, and her appearance tonight did not include any interaction with her husband.

Melania made a lengthy statement in response to the incident, thanking the Secret Service agents and law enforcement officials for protecting her husband.

"When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron's life, were on the brink of devastating change.

"I am grateful to the brave secret service agents and law enforcement officials who risked their own lives to protect my husband," she said in a statement.

The former first lady has maintained a low profile throughout her husband's campaign.

She has attended just two public appearances since Trump launched his third presidential bid, the kickoff of his campaign in November 2022 at their Mar-a-Lago home and a brief appearance in March when she accompanied Trump to vote in the Florida presidential primary.

The former first lady's return to the spotlight for one of the most high-profile moments of Trump's campaign comes as questions over whether she will ramp up her public schedule in the run-up to the 2024 general election continue to go unanswered.

She notably did not attend any of her husband's court appearances in New York for his hush money trial earlier this year, nor did she appear with him for CNN's June 27 presidential debate in Atlanta.