Lawmaker Draws Criticism for Remarks on First Lady’s EB-1 Visa Qualification
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) is facing backlash after calling out First Lady Melania Trump’s visa history prior to her becoming a US citizen.
“Since we’re talking about integrity, I’m confused as to why my Republican colleagues aren’t talking about the lack of integrity when it comes to the president’s family’s visas,” Crockett said Wednesday during the House Judiciary Committee hearing. “Melania, the first lady — a model, and when I say model, I’m not talking about Tyra Banks, Cindy Crawford or Naomi Campbell-level — applied for and was given an EB-1 visa.”
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“You’re supposed to have some sort of significant achievement, like being awarded a Nobel Peace Prize or a Pulitzer, being an Olympic medalist, or having other sustained extraordinary abilities and success in sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics,” the representative continued. “Last time I checked, the first lady had none of those accolades under her belt.”
The EB-1 visa, which has been nicknamed the “Einstein visa,” is eligible for someone who is “an alien of extraordinary ability, are an outstanding professor or researcher, or are a certain multinational executive or manager,” according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
“It doesn’t take an Einstein to see that the math ain’t mathin’ here,” Crockett quipped.
The first lady moved to the United States in the 1990s on an EB-1 visa before becoming a citizen in 2006, following her marriage to Donald Trump.
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Social media users were quick to bash the Texas representative.
“Just so you know, Melania Trump could run circles around you. Can you speak 5 languages? Could you ever be a supermodel?” a user on X wrote.
“Crockett said Melania wasn’t on the same level as other models and didn’t have the accolades to warrant an Einstein visa. Crockett is jealous,” another X user said.
“Crockett’s smug jab at Melania says more about her own ignorance than it does about the visa process,” another person wrote.
Crockett shared a clip of her statements regarding visas on X with the caption, “They scream ‘integrity,’ but nothing about this administration—or the way they’ve governed—has been rooted in it.”
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