Did Melania Trump hold dual citizenship when she became a U.S. citizen?

1. The simple fact reporters agree on

Major recent coverage and a 2020 biography say Melania naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2006 and kept her Slovenian nationality, so she and her son Barron hold both Slovenian and U.S. citizenships according to The Independent, Cleveland.com and reporting cited in The Daily Beast and others ^{[1] [2] [3]}. News organizations repeating that account include Newsweek, Forbes-citing pieces, and mainstream outlets describing Moreno’s bill as directly affecting “first lady Melania Trump and son Barron” because they “remain dual citizens” ^{[7] [5] [4]}.

2. Why this matters now: the Exclusive Citizenship Act

The context for renewed attention is Senator Bernie Moreno’s proposed “Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025,” which would require U.S. citizens who also hold foreign citizenship to renounce the other citizenship or be deemed to have relinquished U.S. status—language that news reports say would apply to existing dual citizens like Melania and Barron ^{[8] [9]}. Coverage frames the bill as intended to force “exclusive allegiance” to the United States and explicitly names the Trumps as examples of who would be affected ^{[4] [6]}.

3. The sources those news stories lean on

The claim that Melania naturalized in 2006 and retained Slovenian citizenship is repeated across outlets and is directly attributed in several pieces to Mary Jordan’s 2020 biography The Art of Her Deal and to media reporting; for example, The Independent cites Jordan’s account about Melania obtaining U.S. citizenship in 2006 and keeping a Slovenian passport ^{[1] [3]}. Cleveland.com and Newsweek likewise summarize that reporting when describing who would be impacted by the legislation ^{[2] [7]}.

4. What the public record in these excerpts does not show

Available sources do not provide Melania’s original naturalization documents, the specific legal mechanics of how she retained Slovenian citizenship, nor an official government statement in these items confirming dual status; reporters rely on biographical reporting and prior coverage to state she “remains a dual citizen” ^{[1] [2] [3]}. If you seek primary legal documentation, the articles do not reproduce it ^{[4] [5]}.

5. Competing perspectives and possible agendas

News reports about Moreno’s bill present two competing narratives: proponents cast dual citizenship as a threat to “exclusive allegiance” and national security, while critics and many outlets portray the proposal as politically targeted and disruptive to millions—including high-profile figures like Melania ^{[9] [8]}. Some outlets emphasize the bill’s political theater by highlighting its effect on the First Family, which can amplify partisan framing; that pattern appears across the Independent, Daily Mail, and regional reporting ^{[1] [10] [2]}.

6. How reporters treat the Trump family detail—reliance on secondary sources

Multiple articles cite the same biography and prior reporting rather than independent confirmation from government records; Newsweek and other fact-checking pieces reiterate that members of Trump’s immediate family are described in coverage as holding dual citizenship ^{[7] [5]}. That repetition creates consensus in media accounts but also shows dependence on a small set of sources ^[3].

7. Bottom line and limits of current reporting

Current reporting compiled here consistently states Melania Trump naturalized in 2006 and retained Slovenian citizenship, making her a dual citizen—a fact used to illustrate who the Exclusive Citizenship Act would affect ^{[1] [2] [4]}. These articles do not publish primary naturalization or foreign passport records; they rely on biographical reporting and past coverage to support the claim ^{[3] [7]}. If you need documentary proof (e.g., official records), those are not included in the cited reporting and would require access to government or legal documents beyond the present sources.