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Melania Trump made a rare appearance in public on Friday, speaking at the National Archives Naturalization Ceremony in Washington, D.C., Speaking before 25 people from 25 different countries who were being sworn in, Trump recalled her own “arduous” experience in becoming a U.S. citizen.
“For me, reaching the milestone of American citizenship marked the sunrise of certainty,” she said. “At that exact moment, I forever discarded the layer of burden connected with whether I would be able to live in the United States. I hope you’re blanketed with similar feelings of comfort right now.”
Trump told the audience that she grew up in Slovenia and moved to New York City in 1996, wanting to continue her work as a model. She recalled that her life “turned into a labyrinth of organizing paperwork,” but she was “fortunate” to get legal help.