Donald Trump at CPAC 2014. (Getty)
During Donald Trump’s presidential address this evening, it won’t just be members of Congress sitting in the audience. Rather, a few ordinary citizens have been invited, most of whom have had experiences that back up the argument of the politician who invited them. So who will be in the audience at the address tonight?
Donald and Melania Trump themselves have invited the following six guests:
- Maureen McCarthy Scalia, widow of Antonin Scalia
- Jessica Davis and Susan Oliver, widows of two police officers killed by an undocumented immigrant
- Jamiel Saw Sr., father of a boy who was shot and killed by an undocumented immigrant
- Megan Crowley, a young woman who was diagnosed with Pompe disease and whose father founded a biotechnology company aimed at finding a cure
- Denisha Merriweather, a student who made use of Florida’s school voucher program
In addition, members of Congress have invited the following guests:
- Elizabeth Snyder, widow of a police officer shot and killed in October 2016
- Aaima Sayed, an undocumented Muslim medical student who was shielded from deportation under President Obama’s DACA program
- Farah Alkhafaji, the sister of an Iraqi interpreter who was temporarily barred from entering the United States under the travel ban
- Tracy Trovato, an Obamacare recipient whose husband was diagnosed with leukemia
- Christine Leinonen, whose son died during the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando
- Vernon L. Riddick, police chief of Waterbury, Connecticut, which is not far from where the Newtown shooting took place
- Lupe Salmeron, an undocumented immigrant shielded under the DACA program
- Lauri Major Tillman, an Obamacare recipient who was able to cover her grandson’s medical issues thanks to the law
- Jose Andres, a celebrity guest who canceled plans to build a restaurant near one of Trump’s hotels out of protest of Trump’s comments about Mexicans
- Dr. Ehsun Mirza, a Muslim immigrant who came to the United States from Pakistan
- Jacqueline García de Rayos and Angel Garcia De Rayos, a brother and sister whose mother was deported earlier this year
- Fidaa Rashid, an attorney who works with people affected by Trump’s travel ban
- Jen Fox, an Obamacare recipient who fought cancer
- Mona Hanna-Attisha, who helped shed light on the Flint water crisis
- Banah Alhanfy, a woman who was barred from entering the United States under Trump’s travel ban even though she has a valid student visa. She has since been allowed back into the country.
- Sarker Haque, a Muslim store owner who was the victim of a hate crime
- Hameed Darweesh, who worked as an interpreter for the U.S. government in Iraq but was detained under the travel ban
- Wajdi Said, founder of the Oregon Coalition for Muslim Values
- Ola Ojewumi, who received health care through the Affordable Care Act and was able to successfully fight cancer
- Lindsay Helfman, whose family benefits from the Affordable Care Act
- Tom Countryman, a former state department official who was dismissed by the Trump administration
- Yuriana Aguilar, an undocumented immigrant shielded under DACA, and the first member of that program to receive a PhD
- Astrid Silva, an undocumented immigrant who has fought for immigration reform
- Suzanne Akhras Sahloul, founder of a nonprofit that assists Syrian refugees