At first glance, thefferent era: a sharply dressed businessman leaning close to a glamorous model while  cameras capture a moment of affection in a crowded New York room. There are no campaign signs, presidential podiums or carefully staged official backdrops. Instead, the images belong to the world of early-2000s Manhattan society, where  celebrities, property tycoons,  fashion figures and media personalities regularly crossed paths at exclusive parties. The couple appear relaxed, familiar and largely unconcerned with the historical significance that viewers would later attach to the pictures. To many people seeing the images today, the faces are immediately recognisable. To others, the photographs may require a second look because the pair are being seen outside the political setting that has defined them for much of the past decade. The man is Donald Trump, years before he entered the White House, and the woman beside him is Melania Knauss, the Slovenian-born model who would later become Melania Trump and serve as First Lady of the United States.

Politics