Melania Trump received her “Einstein visa” in 2001, following a brief period of working illegally in the United States.
Her citizenship status has come under renewed scrutiny this week after House Republicans proposed renaming the iconic Kennedy Center Opera House in her honor.
Located in Washington, D.C., the landmark has been internationally recognized as a major cultural institution since it was established in 1971 to commemorate President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated at the age of 46 just seven years earlier.
Following his second inauguration in January, Donald Trump was appointed chairman of the Kennedy Center. His decision to abruptly dismiss numerous existing board members has since drawn significant criticism.
And earlier this week, the Trump administration proposed re-naming the centre after the current First Lady, on the basis of the alleged ‘support and commitment in promoting the arts and humanities’ she has shown over the years.
As we say, the controversial proposal has sparked mass backlash since its announcement – with JFK’s only surviving grandson Jack Schlossberg, even penning a scathing statement against it online.
After name-dropping a number of the former president’s art-oriented achievements, the political writer hit out: “Trump is obsessed with being bigger than JFK, with minimizing the many heroes of our past, as if that elevates him. It doesn’t.
“But there’s hope – art lasts forever, and no one can change what JFK and our shared history stands for.”
In agreement, social media user chimed in, asking of Melania specifically: “What’s she done to deserve it? Genuinely curious.”
Another, meanwhile, took the opportunity to question the mother-of-one’s citizenship status – something which has remained a source of contention amongst left-leaning voters for several years, given Trump’s severe focus on deportation.
“Before they rename the Kennedy Center, tell me again what exactly was Melania Trump’s extraordinary talent that qualified her for an Einstein Visa,” the X user demanded.
The same question reared its ugly head just last month after one critic responded to Melania’s public support of an Arizona intake and detention facility for undocumented immigrants by pointing out that, before marrying Trump, she worked in the US illegally.
For those in need of a reminder, the 55-year-old was born in Slovenia, a country in the Balkans in Europe, before moving to America in the mid-late 90s, despite not having yet obtained the correct requirements for paid employment.
Melania was permitted to visit the country on a B‑1/B‑2 visitor visa, but this famously does not allow tourists to work in exchange for payment.
Two months after her arrival, she finally got her hands on a H‑1B work visa, which permitted her paid employment in America.
On a separate yet equally scandalous note, according to an Associated Press investigation, Melania did receive paid work as a model, and even earned a staggering $20,056 between August and October in illegal wages.
Anyway, back to the Einstein visa. Back in 2001, the First Lady went one step further in her bid to become a US citizen, and somehow obtained an EB-1 visa – often nicknamed an ‘Einstein visa’ – which is reserved for individuals of extraordinary ability.
In the past, the likes of Nobel laureates, Olympic athletes, and individuals with Pulitzer Prize have received the same honour. And so, it looks like Melania having received the same honour has caused quite the stir with regards to her potentially being given the Kennedy Center – a landmark originally named after a president who lost his life for his country.
“Does anyone want the Kennedy Center to be re-named for Melania??? The old ‘Einstein visa’ claim,” another critic hit out this week, as a third added to the debate: “Hell no, what has she ever done for the Arts?”
However, others appeared to support the idea, saying that Melania ‘deserves’ the honour.
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