A new proposal from Senator Bernie Moreno, a MAGA-aligned Republican from Ohio, has sparked major attention after it became clear his idea could affect Melania Trump and Barron Trump. Moreno announced that he plans to introduce the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025, a law that aims to end dual citizenship in the United States.
Moreno, who was born in Colombia and later renounced his Colombian citizenship, said becoming an American citizen at 18 was one of the greatest honors of his life. In an interview with Fox News Digital, he said taking an Oath of Allegiance to the United States meant pledging loyalty “only to the United States of America”. He believes being an American citizen should be “all or nothing” and argues that dual citizenship creates “conflicts of interest and divided loyalties”.
His proposal would require every dual citizen to declare exclusive allegiance to the United States. Anyone who holds another citizenship would have one year to either renounce it or forfeit their U.S. citizenship. After one year, anyone who does not comply would automatically lose U.S. citizenship. Those who give it up, voluntarily or because they fail to act, would be treated as foreigners under immigration law and recorded as non-citizens.
Under the plan, the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security would build a system to track dual citizens and notify those who must choose between nationalities.
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How Melania Trump and Barron Trump Were Pulled Into the Debate
The surprising twist came when it was noted that Melania Trump, the former first lady, and her son Barron Trump are both dual citizens of the United States and Slovenia. That means they would be among those required to choose under Moreno’s plan.
Melania Trump was born in Slovenia and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in July 2006. She is the only first lady to become a naturalized citizen. Before her, the only foreign-born first lady was Louisa Adams, the wife of President John Quincy Adams, who was born in London in 1775.
In her 2024 book The Art of Her Deal, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mary Jordan said that Melania Trump and Barron Trump remain dual citizens. Jordan explained that Melania Trump had to file paperwork to secure Slovenian citizenship for Barron Trump because it was not automatic. Jordan noted that both mother and son have kept their Slovenian passports.
According to Mary Jordan, Melania Trump wanted to give Barron Trump “options”. Slovenian citizenship allows him to work more easily anywhere in Europe and makes it simpler for him to start a business or inherit land in Slovenia. Jordan also said that Melania Trump values the fact that he speaks Slovenian and has the ability to use his Slovenian passport for opportunities abroad.
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The Daily Beast reported the situation and contacted the White House for comment.
What the Proposal Means for Millions of Americans
Moreno’s plan would make one of the largest changes to American citizenship rules in decades. Currently, people can hold U.S. citizenship along with citizenship from another country without having to choose. Many naturalized citizens and children born to immigrant parents share two nationalities without issue.
The Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 would change that entirely. Anyone flagged as a dual citizen would face the same requirements as Melania Trump and Barron Trump under the proposal. The system would apply equally to all dual citizens, regardless of status, background, or family connections.
As the proposal gains attention, discussions continue about how the law would be enforced and how it would affect the millions of Americans who currently hold more than one citizenship.
