MAGA Rep Refuses to Rule Out Deporting Melania
Randy Fine found himself in an uncomfortable spot when his immigration crusade raised questions about the first lady
A longtime member of the MAGA wing found himself in an uncomfortable spot when his push to scrutinize naturalized Americans raised questions about the first lady.
During a heated exchange on Monday about the legitimacy of Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar’s citizenship, Florida GOP Rep. Randy Fine—a longtime ally of President Donald Trump and his MAGA movement—was asked by NewsNation’s Nichole Berlie whether he’d like to see the same scrutiny applied to the immigration status of Melania Trump and Elon Musk, who both entered the country on visas.
U.S. Representative Randy Fine has been on a yearslong campaign against Rep. Ilhan Omar over alleged misrepresentation of facts on her immigration application she filed in 2000, at the age of 17.
Nathan Howard/Nathan Howard/REUTERS
“I believe that we should go back to 1990 and reevaluate everyone who has become a naturalized citizen,” Fine replied. “I think Ilhan Omar needs to be the first; she certainly should not be the last.”
Berlie pressed Fine on the slight evasion, asking again whether Melania’s or Musk’s citizenships should also be reevaluated.
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“I think anyone who was not honest in their immigration paperwork,” he said. “I don’t know anything about the circumstances of the first lady or Elon Musk; I don’t know that there’s ever been allegations.”
Elon Musk and Melania Trump look on during a 2024 Trump rally at Madison Square Garden.
Carlos Barria/Carlos Barria/REUTERS
Musk has faced allegations that he violated the terms of his student visa. In 1995, the future DOGE czar dropped out of Stanford University before he even finished enrolling and founded an online directory company, Zip2, with his brother, Kimbal Musk.
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At the 2013 Milken Institute Global Conference, Kimbal made a revealing admission about the brothers’ immigration status, saying that the brothers were “illegal immigrants” when they received funding for that company.
“Well, I’d say it was a gray area,” Elon interjected.
Kimbal Musk, Elon's brother, maintained that the pair were illegal immigrants while they cofounded their company Zip2 in 1995.
Fred Prouser/Fred Prouser/REUTERS
Musk has since become an outspoken advocate of immigration restrictions, using his considerable wealth and influence to support right-wing parties in the U.S., Germany, and the United Kingdom. He also had access to sensitive government systems while running DOGE.
If Musk’s citizenship were reevaluated under Fine’s proposal, questions about his student visa could potentially come under scrutiny. However, a past visa violation would not automatically constitute grounds for denaturalization.
Melania also had an unusual path to naturalization. In March 2001, she was granted an EB-1 visa, sometimes dubbed the “Einstein visa,” which is available to individuals who demonstrate extraordinary ability in their fields and provides a path to permanent residency and eventual citizenship.
Melania entered the country in 1995 on a visitor visa, and was extended on a working visa until she secured her citizenship in 2001.
Umit Bektas/Umit Bektas/REUTERS
However, according to The Washington Post, questions have been raised about how Melania qualified for the visa. Although she had an established modeling career, the newspaper questioned whether her accomplishments met the program’s extraordinary-ability standard.
Her profile rose when she began dating Donald Trump in 1998, but she was better known for tabloid appearances than for global modeling acclaim. To qualify for an EB-1, applicants must meet specific evidentiary criteria, which can include commercial success in the performing arts or original contributions to a field.
Fine has previously targeted other naturalized Americans, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whom he called a “Muslim terrorist” and demanded be “denaturalized and sent back home to Uganda.”
The Florida Republican has also made headlines for his own unusual behavior. In August, he was caught on a Ring doorbell camera rummaging through a constituent’s mailbox while canvassing ahead of the GOP primary.
Footage TMZ obtained showed Fine opening the mailbox and rifling through envelopes as he waited for someone to answer. When confronted about the video, the congressman suggested it may have been AI-generated.
Fine, who has spearheaded a campaign to scrutinize Omar’s childhood immigration records, might want to take a look at the immigration histories of some of his closest allies.
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