Fact Check: Did Leavitt say, 'You're either a US citizen or not' in reference to dual citizenship?
WASHINGTON, DC: In early December 2025, social media users began circulating a rumor that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had made a statement about dual citizenship, claiming, "You're either a US citizen or not."
But what truth is behind this claim? Let’s break it down.
Claim: Karoline Leavitt says, 'You're either a US citizen or not'
Viral posts on social media alleged that Karoline Leavitt made the statement about dual citizenship, saying, “You’re either a US citizen or not. You can’t be a US citizen and a citizen of another country.”
A post by @occupydemocrats included photos of Melania Trump and her son Barron, captioned, "Karoline Leavitt said it herself: 'You can’t be a US citizen and a citizen of another country. Well, someone better break the news to Melania and Barron Trump — because they both have dual citizenship with Slovenia."
Similarly, a Facebook page, @Feminist News, shared a post with the same caption.
Several users criticized the alleged statement, pointing out that First Lady Melania Trump and her son Barron hold dual citizenship with both the US and Slovenia.
The claim spread widely on social media platforms including on Threads, X and Facebook.
Fact Check: Karoline Leavitt never made such a statement
A search on Google, Bing, and Yahoo for the alleged quote returned no credible news sources, only unsourced social media posts.
Additionally, no record of such a statement appeared in White House press briefings from December 2025.
The fabricated quote may have been inspired by the "Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025" a bill proposed in December 2025 by Republican Senator Bernie Moreno.
Moreno, born in Colombia and later renouncing his Colombian citizenship, advocated for ending dual citizenship, stating that becoming an American citizen "is all or nothing."
The false quote appears designed to suggest that the Trump administration supported Moreno's bill.
Although the Trump administration’s immigration policies aligned with aspects of Moreno's proposal and Donald Trump endorsed Moreno's 2024 Senate campaign, there is no evidence that Leavitt or the White House commented on the bill.
The proposed bill would have required individuals holding dual citizenship to formally renounce their foreign citizenship within one year of its passage or renounce their US citizenship with the Department of Homeland Security.
Definition in US immigration law
Under current US immigration law, a US national is defined as either a US citizen or a non-citizen who permanently owes allegiance to the US.
The Department of State clarifies, "US law does not require a US citizen to choose between US citizenship and another nationality. A US citizen may naturalize in a foreign state without affecting their US citizenship."
