Former first lady Melania Trump will deliver a speech during a naturalization ceremony in Washington, D.C., at the National Archives on Friday, CNN has reported.
She has been an American citizen since 2006. She will join U.S. Archivist Colleen Shogan, who CNN noted personally invited the former first lady to speak.
“As a naturalized citizen herself, Mrs. Trump looks forward to telling her story and being part of this momentous occasion for these new American citizens,” Melania Trump’s office said in a statement.
A spokesperson for the National Archives told Politico that Melania Trump was selected because of her status as a former first lady, not because she is the spouse of a current presidential candidate.
“Naturalization ceremonies at the National Archives are not political events, and speakers are not invited in a political capacity,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The event, during which 25 immigrants will be sworn in as U.S. citizens, comes about two years after the National Archives and Record Administration requested that the Justice Department investigate former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified records. Despite this, sources told CNN that the former president supported his wife’s decision to take part in the event.
Melania Trump has mostly kept out of the spotlight since leaving the White House. She has yet to join her husband on the campaign trail or for any of his multiple court appearances. The former president told NBC in September that his wife would join him at campaign events “when it’s appropriate, but pretty soon.”
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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