Randy Fine

Joe Raedle / Getty Images 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. “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. “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.” 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. 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. 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. 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 f