Melania Trump has made a rare public appearance to welcome new U.S. citizens to the country. The wife of former President Donald Trump was a speaker at a naturalization ceremony hosted at the National Archives in Washington D.C, where she relayed her story of becoming an American citizen.

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Trump appeared dressed in a black pantsuit and welcomed new Americans in a seven minute speech. In it, she opened up about the difficult process of acquiring citizenship. She described the pathway to it as an “ardous” process."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 U.S. citizens," she said. "And then, of course, there are nuances of understanding the United States immigration laws and the complex legal language."

Trump revealed that she hired a lawyer to get some help and deal with the complex process in the most efficient way possible. "Patience and perseverance became my constant companions as I navigated through this intricate web, which I'm sure you can all relate to," she said.

She said that becoming an American citizen is an honor that comes with a great deal of responsibility. “It means actively participating in the democratic process and guarding our freedom,” she said. “It is a life-altering experience that takes time, determination and sometimes even tremendous strength.”

Melania Trump’s biography

Melania Trump was born in Slovenia as Melania Knauss. She was a working model in the U.S. before becoming First Lady. Upon her arrival in New York in 1996, Trump had a worker visa. She’s the only First Lady who’s a naturalized U.S. citizen. She met Donald Trump in 1998, with the two getting engaged in 2004. They married the following year, hosting a lavish ceremony attended by guests like Shaquille O’Neal, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and more.