First lady Melania and Donald Trump bringing separate guests to SOTU in break with precedent

By Betsy Klein, CNN

(CNN) — First lady Melania Trump will bring guests to the State of the Union address representing her foster care and responsible AI platforms while President Donald Trump has invited his own set of guests reflecting his priorities – a break from precedent.

The first lady typically invites guests designed to highlight the themes in the president’s speech, along with her own priorities, offering a blueprint for the remarks. They sit with her in her box in the Capitol, overlooking lawmakers and the president, with cameras trained in their direction at key moments.

“The first lady will have two great children with her as part of her Fostering the Future initiative. The president himself has invited some extraordinary guests this year who, again, truly exemplify what it means to be a patriotic American,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previewed during an appearance on Fox News Tuesday morning.

Sierra Burns, a young woman who grew up in foster care and became an advocate after receiving a voucher from a Melania Trump program, is one of the first lady’s guests.

Burns is currently pursuing a master’s degree in advocacy and social policy at Furman University in South Carolina and has helped to develop training resources for foster care caseworkers, according to Melania Trump’s office.

Everest Nevraumont, a 10-year-old advocate for AI education, will also be Melania Trump’s guest, her office said. Nevraumont recently delivered a TEDx Talk about using AI in the classroom at Alpha School Austin, a private school with AI-guided personalized learning. Trump has called for public and private sector leaders to better prepare children for the use of AI technology.

“Sierra and Everest embody my ongoing mission to uplift America’s foster youth and expand opportunity for our next generation through education and technology,” the first lady said in a statement.

The Trumps’ separate guest lists underscore the independence that the first lady has brought to her role. Melania Trump has spent most of her time away from Washington as her husband has physically demolished the East Wing, a space associated for decades with first ladies.

A spokesperson for the first lady did not respond to CNN’s request for comment on the reasoning behind the change.

It’s not the first time Trump has broken with State of the Union tradition. In 2018, the first lady traveled by motorcade to the Capitol separately from the president, opting to ride with the guests she invited to share her box.

The president’s guests, meanwhile, are expected to fill the traditional role of amplifying his agenda: US service members and “everyday Americans who have directly benefited from his policies” will be in attendance, Leavitt said.

The White House has yet to release a full list of attendees but said a waitress and mother from Pennsylvania who is “directly benefiting from the president’s ‘no tax on tips’ and ‘no tax on overtime’ policies,” is expected to be highlighted during the speech, according to Leavitt.

Those policies were part of President Trump’s signature domestic policy agenda bill passed last summer.

The president is also expected to highlight a woman who has saved money with the “TrumpRx” plan launched earlier this month as she pursued costly fertility treatments.

“She and her husband have been struggling with infertility, but she’s now saving $3,500 to purchase the drug for infertility to help create a beautiful family for she and her husband,” Leavitt said.

Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, will be in attendance, Leavitt later announced. The president is expected to mention Charlie Kirk’s assassination and condemn political violence during his speech.

Trump will also reference Sage Blair, who became embroiled in a lawsuit about parental rights and gender transitioning. The president is expected to make a push against transgender care for minors. Last year, the Trump administration proposed new rules to prohibit hospitals from participating in Medicare and Medicaid if they provide care such as puberty blockers and surgeries for transgender minors.

And in what might be one of the more unifying moments in the address, Trump will honor a 100-year-old war veteran, Navy Captain E. Royce Williams, for courage under fire.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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