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Melania Trump awarded ‘Patriot of the Year’: What is it and why did US first lady win?
The Patriot Awards were introduced by Fox to celebrate people who embody patriotism and honour “American heroes who have shown dedication to our nation”.
US first lady Melania Trump was awarded Fox Nation’s “Patriot of the Year” award on Thursday, a year after her husband and US President Donald Trump received the same honour after his 2024 victory over former US vice president and Democratic presidential contender Kamala Harris. The first lady accepted the award at a star-studded event hosted by Fox Nation in New York.
In her acceptance speech, she thanked “American patriots” in the audience and those watching at home. “Without you, I wouldn’t be standing here today,” she said. Melania also urged everyone to celebrate those who “dare to think differently”.
“Let’s embrace the spirit of ambition… Trust me, I know a little bit about challenging convention,” the first lady was quoted as saying by Fox News.
What is the Patriot of the Year award?
The Patriot Awards were introduced by Fox in 2019 to celebrate individuals who embody patriotism and honour “American heroes who have shown dedication to our nation”. The awards recognise “America’s finest patriots”, which include military veterans, first responders, and ordinary citizens who have made inspiring contributions to the nation.
The 7th annual Patriot Awards took place on November 6 at the Tilles Center at LIU Post in Greenvale, New York. This year’s event was created by Shane and Justice Henderson.
Speaking on Fox & Friends, Shane Henderson said they believed they had reached their peak with last year’s ceremony but were surprised by what they achieved this year.
Why was Melania Trump awarded “Patriot of the Year”?
Fox has not released an official explanation for choosing Melania Trump as “Patriot of the Year”. However, a Fox News report suggests the honour could be linked to her global work for children during her second term as First Lady.
In October, Melania said her discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin helped reunite eight Ukrainian children with their families. Her “peace letter” was personally delivered to Putin during an August summit in Alaska.
Earlier in May, she made history by becoming the first US first lady to co-sign legislation alongside a sitting president when she and Donald Trump signed the ‘Take it Down Act’ into law. The law bans the creation of AI-generated pornographic content using real people’s faces without consent.
