Special Poll
Congresswoman Maxine Waters stirred controversy this week after suggesting that President Donald Trump should take a closer look at his own family specifically his wife, Melania Trump while criticizing the administration’s hardline immigration policies.
During a protest rally in Los Angeles, Waters took aim at Trump’s efforts to eliminate birthright citizenship and deport undocumented immigrants, saying that if the president is serious about scrutinizing the origins and legal status of immigrants, perhaps he should start with the former First Lady. “When he talks about birthright, and he’s going to undo the fact that the Constitution allows those who are born here, even if the parents are undocumented, they have a right to stay in America,” Waters said. “If he wants to start looking so closely to find those who were born here and their parents were undocumented, maybe he ought to first look at Melania.”
The comments were made in response to broader frustrations with the Trump administration’s policies, including recent cuts to federal programs led by Elon Musk, who now oversees the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Waters joined hundreds of protesters who marched in Los Angeles to oppose what they see as a dangerous dismantling of vital government institutions.
Melania Trump, born in Slovenia, came to the United States to pursue a modeling career and became a naturalized citizen in 2006 after marrying Donald Trump. She later sponsored her parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs, for green cards and eventual citizenship. Her mother, Amalija, passed away in 2024, while Viktor Knavs has remained in the public eye, appearing at Trump family events, including sitting beside grandson Barron Trump during the president’s recent inauguration.
Melania is the first First Lady to be a naturalized citizen and the second to be born outside the United States, after Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, wife of John Quincy Adams. Despite her position, Melania has maintained a notably low profile throughout Trump’s political career. She was absent from major campaign events, including Super Tuesday celebrations, and did not attend legal proceedings such as Trump’s criminal hush money trial in New York.
At the rally, Waters questioned the transparency around Melania’s family background, stating, “We don’t know whether or not her parents were documented. And maybe we better just take a look.”
While Waters’ remarks drew attention, any actual move to revoke Melania Trump’s citizenship or deport her is highly unlikely and would be legally unprecedented. Nonetheless, the moment highlights deep divisions over immigration policy and reflects growing tensions around the administration’s increasingly aggressive actions.
As Trump continues to push mass deportation and challenge birthright citizenship through executive orders, critics argue that his approach is hypocritical and politically motivated. Whether this rhetoric will resonate with voters or backfire remains to be seen but the spotlight is once again shining on the personal lives of those closest to the president.