Melania Trump's approval rating now higher than her husband Donald

Melania Trump is now more popular than her husband, according to an approval-rating poll.

The first lady's approval rating currently stands at 52%, while President Donald Trump's approval rating is just 45%, according to a poll from CNN/ORC.

The bump in popularity for Melania comes after a rocky start – with a 16% jump in her approval rating since her husband took office.

Melania made a rare appearance at the White House on 8 March for International Women's Day, when she spoke about moving to the US as an immigrant and how important equality was.

"As an immigrant myself, having grown up in a communist society, I know all too well the value and importance of freedom and equal opportunity," she said in comments carried by The Telegraph.

"I continue to firmly believe that education is the most powerful way to promote and ensure women's rights," she added.

The first lady has largely shied away from the limelight since Trump's inauguration, opting to remain in New York so her and Trump's son Barron can finish his term at school in the city.

When Trump first took office, his daughter Ivanka was viewed as having played a greater role with her father than Melania, since she moved her family to D.C. to be a part of Trump's team. However, his daughter insisted she had not taken on the position of first lady.

Despite the jump in approval ratings, Melania remains unpopular with Democrats, with just 22% having a positive opinion of the first lady, while 32% of people questioned across party lines had a negative view of her.