Latest news with #Einstein
NDTV
a day ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"Math Ain't Mathin": Why Melania Trump's 'Einstein Visa' Was Questioned
Jasmine Crockett, a Democratic congresswoman launched an attack on the First Lady of the United States Melania Trump during Wednesday's meeting of the House judiciary committee. She said that the First Lady should not have been given an "Einstein visa" to immigrate to the US in 2001. "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," she said. The EB-1 visa, colloquially known as the "Einstein Visa", is reserved for people with extraordinary talent, applicants who are highly acclaimed in their field. According to the government, Pulitzer, Oscar, and Olympic winners are examples, apart from academic researchers and multinational executives. Mrs Trump started applying for the visa in 2000, when she was Melania Knauss, a Slovenian model working in New York. She was the girlfriend of US President Donald Trump, at the time. Her visa was approved in 2001 and after becoming a citizen in 2006, she earned the right to sponsor her parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs. Amid Mr Trump's strict immigration policies, the attack stands out ironically. Ms Crockett highlighted the hypocrisy of Republicans in their treatment of Mrs Trump. She continued, "Let me tell you how you receive an Einstein visa," she added. "You're supposed to have some sort of significant achievement, like being awarded a Nobel Peace Prize or a Pulitzer, being an Olympic medallist, or having other sustained extraordinary abilities and success in sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics. "Last time I checked, the first lady had none of those accolades under her belt. It doesn't take an Einstein to see that the math ain't mathin' here." Calling out the President, she questioned, "Why aren't we talking about integrity when it comes to the president's family's visas?" Taking a swipe at the First Lady, Alex Nowrasteh, vice president for economic and social policy studies at the Cato Institute, who also testified during the House hearing, said she deserved credit for marrying Mr Trump. "And I think that's quite an achievement, so I think she deserves credit for that. Nobody up here could have done it!" she said. Ms Crockett compared the current situation in the United States where individuals are being arrested at US immigration or citizenship appointments. "The reality of what they're claiming they want to do vs what they are actually doing, the actions don't match up," she said. She launched a tirade and said that the idea that the Republicans want to restore integrity and security in the visa process is "actually a joke". "Let me be clear: Integrity is not snatching lawful visa holders off the streets and throwing them into unmarked vans. Integrity is not invoking visas based on social media posts that hurt somebody's little feelings", she continued. However, US visa lawyer Susan McFadden at the Gudeon and McFadden law firm in London told BBC in 2018 that an individual does not need to have a Nobel Prize to receive the Einstein visa. She said, "An experienced lawyer knows what the US citizenship and immigration services is looking for, and how to bring out of the client's background things that will be attractive to the agency." "And I'm sure she probably had some pretty significant letters, maybe from Donald Trump," McFadden added.
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Jasmine Crockett blasts Melania Trump over ‘Einstein Visa': ‘Math ain't mathin'
Amber Duke and Bofta Yiman discuss Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) questioning First Lady Melania Trump's reported "Einstein visa" amid the Trump administration's ongoing immigration crackdown.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Visa controversy erupts: Jasmine Crockett presses how Melania Trump got elite US visa
Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett spoke at a government hearing. She asked how Melania Trump got a special visa in 2001 called the EB-1 or 'Einstein visa.' This visa is usually for people who have done something really amazing—like winning a Nobel Prize, being in the Olympics, or being a famous scientist, as per the report by Newsweek. Crockett said Melania was a model, but not as famous as big names like Tyra Banks or Naomi Campbell. She said Melania didn't have the kind of huge awards or career success that usually earns someone an EB-1 visa. Crockett joked, "It doesn't take an Einstein to see that the math ain't mathin' here." Crockett also called out Republicans for being tough on other immigrants but staying silent on Trump's own family. She pointed out that Trump's administration revoked visas for people based on their social media posts and ran ICE raids across the country. She mentioned Trump's executive order on June 4, which targeted student visas, especially for Chinese students, as stated by the Newsweek report. Later in June, Trump also banned or restricted visas from 19 countries, including full bans from 12. The Trump administration made visa rules stricter, like checking people's social media posts more carefully. Crockett said this all shows a double standard—tough rules for regular people but easy for Trump's circle. ALSO READ: Supreme court rules South Carolina can block Medicaid funding to planned parenthood — what this means for Medicaid patients Live Events What Melania did before the visa Melania came to the U.S. in 1996 on a tourist visa, then got work visas for modeling jobs. She met Donald Trump in 1998, which made her more famous. By 2001, she applied for and got the EB-1 visa. In that year, only 5 people from Slovenia got EB-1 visas, according to the U.S. State Department. Before applying, she had been on magazine covers, like British GQ and some U.S. publications, as per reports. What others said Alex Nowrasteh from the Cato Institute jokingly said, 'Not everybody could marry Donald Trump. That's quite an achievement.' Crockett replied, 'You sure are right, I couldn't have done it', accoridng to the report by Newsweek. Melania's lawyer Michael Wildes said in 2018, 'She got her green card legally and was more than qualified for the Extraordinary Ability category.' Melania Trump has not commented on the controversy yet. She has been keeping a low profile since Trump's second term began. Last seen at Trump's 79th birthday parade on June 14, and at other events like a Kennedy Center red carpet and a White House picnic, as mentioned by Newsweek report. FAQs Q1. What visa did Melania Trump get? Melania Trump received an EB-1 visa in 2001, also known as the " Einstein visa ," meant for people with extraordinary abilities. Q2. Why is Melania Trump's visa being questioned? Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett questioned how Melania qualified for an elite visa usually reserved for Nobel winners or top athletes.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'Not everybody could marry Donald Trump': What's the row over Melania Trump's Einstein Visa?
Melania Trump's Einstein visa is at the center of a fresh controversy. The Einstein visa, officially known as the EB-1 visa (Employment-Based First Preference visa), is a US immigrant visa for individuals with extraordinary ability in fields like science, arts, education, business, or athletics. It's for those who demonstrate sustained national or international acclaim and whose achievements are recognized through extensive documentation. First Lady Melania Trump was on an Einstein visa in the US before she became a citizen. Democratic representative Jasmine Crockett raised the issue and asked how Melania Trump, being a model, was granted this category of visa. 'Not everybody could marry Donald Trump' Speaking during a House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday, Crockett called out Republican's double standard on visas. "Why aren't we talking about integrity when it comes to the president's family's visas?" she asked. "Let me tell you how you receive an Einstein visa," Crockett said. "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. Last time I checked the first lady had none of those accolades under her belt." "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 EB1 visa." "It doesn't take an Einstein to see that the math ain't mathin' here," Crockett said. The Cato Institute's Alex Nowrasteh, who also testified during the House hearing, responded and said not everybody could marry Donald Trump. "And I think that's quite an achievement, so I think she deserves credit for that. Nobody up here could have done it!" Alex said. "You sure are right, I couldn't have done it," Crockett said. Born in Slovenia, Melania Trump came to the US in 1996 on a tourist visa which converted into a work visa as she started started pursuing her modeling career in New York. She received her Einstein Visa in 2001, four years before their marriage in 2005.
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Eight of America's weirdest museums revealed, from video games to potatoes
They say America is the land of the free. But it could also be described as the land of the outlandish, given the focus of some of its quirkier museums. Here we present eight of the most unusual, attractions that are thriving despite their collections showcasing items that range from the peculiar to the peculiarly mundane. There's the museum passionately devoted to a type of condiment, one that celebrates a popular variety of vegetable, a museum containing parts of Einstein's brain and one that's a mecca for lovers of a certain pre-cooked meat. Our list also showcases a museum dedicated to a brand of sauce and another that honors a much-loved type of candy. Read on and enter a truly wonderful world of weird… Tabasco Museum, Avery Island, Louisiana Spice up your travels with a visit to the Tabasco Museum on Avery Island, Louisiana, where the fiery sauce has been made by the McIlhenny family since 1868. The Tabasco website reveals: "[Founder] Edmund McIlhenny grew his first commercial pepper crop in 1868. The next year, he sent out 658 bottles of sauce at one dollar apiece wholesale to grocers around the Gulf Coast, particularly in New Orleans. "He labeled it 'Tabasco', a word of Mexican Indian origin believed to mean 'place where the soil is humid' or 'place of the coral or oyster shell'. McIlhenny secured a patent in 1870, and Tabasco Sauce began its journey to set the culinary world on fire." The site's museum can be experienced as part of a "fan experience", which also includes a tour of the Pepper Greenhouse, Barrel Warehouse, the 170-acre Jungle Gardens and Tabasco Restaurant 1868. Tickets cost $15.50 for adults, $12.50 for children (four and under are free) and $13.95 for seniors and veterans. Visit . The Mutter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia This museum is named after Philadelphia physician Thomas Dent Mütter, who, before he died in 1859, bequeathed his entire teaching collection, comprising more than 1,700 peculiar objects and specimens, to the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. This collection was turned into a museum that opened in 1863, with the college expanding the displays over the years. There are now over 20,000 fascinating and often eerie medical items for visitors to peruse, from diseased organs to slides of cells from Einstein's brain and from a 139-piece collection of human skulls to an iron lung. describes the museum as a "riveting storehouse" that offers a "beneath-the-surface perspective of what physicians study on a daily basis". Tickets for adults cost $20, children $15 (those five and under go free) and seniors are charged $18. Visit National Videogame Museum, Frisco, Texas Here, gamers can download the history, culture and evolution of video games via interactive exhibits and "rare artifacts". Highlights include a giant 12ft-tall version of Pong, the classic that kick-started the entire gaming industry; playable consoles from various eras; classic playable arcade games; and a "meticulously recreated 1980s bedroom" that "captures the essence of gaming culture during that unforgettable decade". The museum also houses an array of computers, from the "legendary" Apple II to the "groundbreaking" Commodore 64 and the IBM PC. The museum says: "Engage with these vintage machines, each representing a significant milestone in the rise of personal computing, and dive into classic applications and games that captured the hearts and minds of early computer users." Tickets cost $12 for adults, $10 for children (kids under three get in free) and $10 for seniors and veterans. Visit The PEZ Visitor Center, Orange, Connecticut Fans of iconic candy Pez will no doubt see a visit to the Pez Visitor Center in Orange, Connecticut, as a sweet deal. The center is inside one of two Pez manufacturing facilities worldwide, the other being in Traun, Austria, the country where the candy was invented in 1927. The center covers over 4,000 square feet and is "dedicated to all things Pez". It boasts "the largest, most comprehensive collection of Pez memorabilia on public display in the world", a Pez motorcycle built by Orange County Choppers, the world's largest Pez dispenser, and a viewing area into the production area. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for children (3-12) and seniors (60-plus). Children under three can visit for free. Visit The Spam Museum, Austin, Minnesota No, it's not a museum dedicated to junk mail. Rather, it's the "ultimate destination" for fans of the "legendary" Spam brand of precooked meat. The museum says: "This isn't just a museum — it's a flavorful, interactive experience that takes you on a journey through time, taste, and tradition. From its sizzling start in 1937 to its global fanbase today, the Spam brand has become a pop culture icon. "Discover the fascinating history of the Spam brand, its global culinary impact, pop culture fame, and the story behind Hormel Foods, all served up with a side of fun, and Spam-ples for visitors of all ages. "Whether you're a curious foodie, a history buff, or a lifelong Spam fan, there's something there to surprise and delight you." And if you have any questions while you're there, Spam-bassadors are on hand to help. Entry is free of charge. Visit The Idaho Potato Museum, Blackfoot At the Potato Museum in Blackfoot, visitors can pay homage to the vegetable that is produced in ginormous quantities in Idaho. The state produces 32 percent of America's total yield - 13.5 billion pounds of potatoes per year on 300,000-320,000 acres of farmland. Museum highlights include the world's largest potato crisp, a 23-inch-long monster made by Pringles; a potato signed by former vice president Dan Quayle; a collection of potato peelers, spikes, stamps, and mashers; and an array of Mr. Potato Heads. No trip to the museum would be complete without eating some potatoes, of course. At the museum's cafe, visitors can enjoy potato cupcakes, French fries, tater tots and potato soup served with a potato roll. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and military, $5.50 for students and $3.50 for children (aged 5-12), while children under four get in free. Visit The Neon Museum, Las Vegas Arguably one of America's most illuminating attractions, The Neon Museum shines a light on the iconic signage that has become synonymous with Las Vegas. The museum has more than 250 signs in its collection, with visitors learning who created them, what inspired them and what role they played in Sin City's distinctive history. The museum says: "[The] collection chronicles changes and trends in sign design and technology through pieces ranging from the 1930s to the present day." The museum has a 4.5 rating on Tripadvisor, with one reviewer describing it as "great from start to finish". One word of advice? Best to go when it's dark… Admission is from $20 during the day and from $30 at night. Children under six get in free. Visit National Mustard Museum, Middleton, Wisconsin "Welcome to the Condimental Divide… yes, there really is a mustard museum." So proclaims the website for the National Mustard Museum of Wisconsin, which bills itself as "the golden summit for mustard lovers of all ages". What's inside? The world's largest collection of mustards and memorabilia, no less. "I love mustard and this adorable place has a lot of them," said one reviewer. Admission is free.
