Has Melania Trump publicly confirmed renouncing or keeping Slovenian citizenship since 2017?
Executive summary
Public reporting does not contain a clear, on-the-record statement from Melania Trump saying she renounced or kept Slovenian citizenship after becoming a U.S. citizen in 2006; several reputable outlets note her naturalization in 2006 but do not quote her renunciation or retention of Slovenian citizenship [1] [2]. Some secondary and later accounts — including a book excerpt and tabloid-style reports — say she and son Barron “retain” Slovenian passports, but primary documentation or a direct public confirmation from Melania is not cited in the available sources [3] [4].
1. What the mainstream records say: naturalized U.S. citizen in 2006
Contemporary, mainstream reporting that traces Melania Trump’s immigration path states she was approved for a U.S. “extraordinary ability” (EB-1 or “Einstein”) visa in 2001 and became a U.S. citizen in 2006; those facts are reported by outlets such as the BBC and repeated in profiles of her family [1] [2]. These reports establish the timeline for U.S. naturalization but do not address whether she formally renounced Slovenian citizenship at that time [1] [2].
2. What sources explicitly say about Slovenian citizenship is limited
Available reporting and archival material in the provided set do not include a direct, on-the-record statement from Melania Trump either confirming she renounced Slovenian citizenship or confirming she kept it after naturalization; that absence is notable given the high media scrutiny of her background (available sources do not mention a Melania quote on renunciation). Profiles simply call her a “naturalized U.S.” citizen born in Slovenia [5] [6].
3. Secondary claims that she “retained” Slovenian passports — origin and caution
A 2024/2025-era book by Washington Post reporter Mary Jordan is cited in later pieces claiming Melania and Barron kept Slovenian passports; articles referencing Jordan’s reporting say she wrote they “remain dual citizens” and that Melania “kept” passports to give Barron options [3]. Separately, an entertainment/aggregator piece repeats the claim that Melania and Barron “retain dual-citizenship” [4]. These are secondary accounts that attribute the claim to Jordan’s reporting; the sources provided do not include Jordan’s original text or documentary evidence such as passport copies or Slovenian government confirmation [3] [4]. Treat those assertions as reported claims, not documentary proof.
4. Legal and contextual background the sources touch on
Some background commentary in forum and Q&A reporting notes that Slovenian law and U.S. practice make dual citizenship possible in many cases, but also that practice and automatic-loss clauses can complicate individual cases — and that public confirmation often requires documentation or statements not publicly released [7]. The provided Skeptics Stack Exchange summary explicitly says the author found “no credible discussion” proving whether she renounced Slovenian citizenship and that dual citizenship is possible per the U.S. Embassy in Slovenia [7].
5. Why the question persists politically and in media coverage
Melania’s immigration path, visa type and timing (EB-1 in 2001; citizenship in 2006) have been repeatedly reported and sometimes politicized, which keeps attention on any possible dual-nationality issue; that coverage has generated partisan commentary and speculation, including suggestions about whether public figures should disclose foreign citizenship status [1] [8]. The sources show controversy around related immigration topics but do not provide new primary confirmation about Melania’s Slovenian status [1] [8].
6. What is missing from the available reporting — and what would settle it
The sources provided do not include a Slovenian government record, a U.S. naturalization file noting renunciation, a direct quote from Melania, or unrebutted documentary proof of possession or surrender of a Slovenian passport (available sources do not mention such documents). A definitive public confirmation would require either: (a) an official Slovene statement confirming passport/citizenship status, (b) a confirmed copy of a passport or renunciation paperwork, or (c) an explicit on-the-record statement from Melania or her representatives — none of which appear in the provided materials (available sources do not mention these documents).
Bottom line: reporting establishes Melania Trump became a U.S. citizen in 2006 but the materials supplied do not include a direct public confirmation from her that she renounced or retained Slovenian citizenship; later claims that she “retained” Slovenian passports are reported secondhand [1] [2] [3].