Melania Trump makes rare campaign appearance at New York City rally

Former first lady Melania Trump made an exceedingly rare appearance Sunday on the campaign trail when she delivered remarks at her husband's rally in New York City.

The former first lady was not listed among the expected speakers publicized by the Trump campaign, but she introduced her husband at the Madison Square Garden event. She spoke for less than 5 minutes, arguing the country was dealing with a decline in quality of life.

"Let us charge together with a shared vision that builds on American greatness. Let’s seize this moment and create a country for tomorrow — the future that we deserve," Melania Trump said.

She stood on stage and embraced former President Trump as he arrived for his speech.

The former first lady has hardly attended any public campaign events with her husband. The Madison Square Garden event was the first rally she has appeared at during this cycle, and she attended the Republican National Convention in July, though she did not speak.

The first lady hosted two fundraisers for the LGBTQ group Log Cabin Republicans this year: one at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, and another in New York City.

The former model made waves earlier this month when she wrote in her memoir about her support for abortion access and for women to make choices about their bodies "based on their own convictions."

Democrats have hammered the 45th president on the issue of abortion, blaming him and his appointment of three conservative Supreme Court justices for the end of Roe v. Wade. Donald Trump said he told his wife that she should follow her heart when writing about the topic in her memoir.