Democratic Representative Maxine Waters of California urged President Donald Trump to investigate and possibly deport First Lady Melania Trump during an anti-DOGE protest held in Los Angeles last weekend.
Footage of her remarks gained significant attention online as Waters proposed that the First Lady’s citizenship status—she has been a U.S. citizen since 2006—should be examined in response to the president’s executive order aimed at abolishing birthright citizenship.
Waters stated from the rally stage, “When he [Trump] discusses birthright and intends to reverse the constitutional provision that grants rights to those born in the U.S., even if their parents are undocumented, perhaps he should first scrutinize Melania. If he is intent on identifying individuals born here with undocumented parents, he might want to start with her.”
She further remarked, “We are uncertain about the documentation status of her parents. It may be prudent to investigate this matter.”
Official government biographies indicate that Melania Trump was born in the former Yugoslavia and became a U.S. citizen in 2006. She is notable for being the first First Lady in U.S. history to be naturalized and only the second to have been born outside the country, following Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, who was born in London in 1775.
A 2018 report from The New York Times highlighted that after acquiring her citizenship, the First Lady sponsored her parents—both originally from what is now Slovenia—for green cards and subsequently for citizenship. Viktor and Amalija Knavs became U.S. citizens in the same year. Amalija Knavs passed away in 2024, while her father, Viktor, has recently been seen at public events with the Trump family, including sitting alongside Barron Trump during the inauguration.
The executive order aims to provide clarity regarding the 14th Amendment, which asserts, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” This order, issued by Trump, intends to restrict birthright citizenship by excluding children born to parents who are illegal immigrants or those present in the U.S. on temporary non-immigrant visas. The legality of this order has been contested in federal court.
Waters has a track record of making erratic statements and expressing her views passionately in public forums. Recently, she expressed her vehement disapproval of both Trump and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk during an event in Washington, D.C.
At a rally organized by Democratic lawmakers opposing Musk’s access to information at the Treasury Department, Waters accused him of exceeding his authority without voter consent during her address. “We need to inform Elon Musk that nobody elected you. No one authorized you to access our private information. No one gave you the authority to manage the financial transactions of this country,” Waters exclaimed.
While Musk was not elected, his superior—Trump—was, and he won by a considerable margin over former Vice President Kamala Harris. Additionally, it is important to note that most senior advisors and Cabinet members in any administration are not elected officials but serve at the discretion of the president.
Waters further unfoundedly claimed that Musk was exploiting the earnings of everyday Americans to finance SpaceX and his other business ventures.