In a rare public appearance during a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives in Washington, former US first lady Melania Trump delivered an emotional speech on Friday, December 15. She spoke about her experience of becoming a US citizen and the challenges she faced within the complex legal system. With 25 immigrants about to be sworn in as US citizens, she commended them and highlighted the numerous obstacles immigrants must overcome to attain citizenship. Notably, she made no reference to her husband, former President Donald Trump, who had promised to tighten restrictions on both legal and illegal immigration.
Reflecting on her own journey to US citizenship in 2006, Melania Trump empathized with the immigrants, acknowledging the harsh realities they face in their pursuit of becoming US citizens. She recounted the difficulties of navigating immigration law, conducting research, and meticulously gathering information and paperwork, describing the pathway to citizenship as arduous. She expressed, “My personal experience of traversing the challenges of the immigration process opened my eyes to the harsh realities people face, including you, who try to become US citizens.”
During her visit, Melania Trump engaged in a conversation with US Archivist Colleen Shogan, who had specifically invited her to speak at the ceremony. The two women had previously collaborated on various projects during Melania Trump’s tenure as the first lady, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the National Archives in a statement to CNN.
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BREAKING: Former First Lady Melania Trump (@MELANIATRUMP) discloses that she felt “a tremendous sense of pride and belonging” after reciting the United States Oath of Allegiance, noting that “the pathway to (American) citizenship is arduous.” WATCH pic.twitter.com/b6Pdf2QMuE
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) December 15, 2023