At each State of the Union address, the president and first lady invite special guests. According to the White House, “Each one represents the very best of America and people the world over.”
Here are the guests who are expected to join President Trump and first lady Melania Trump at the president’s third State of the Union on February 4:
Janiyah Davis is a fourth-grade student in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the daughter of Stephanie, a single mother who tried to apply for a tax-credit scholarship to get Janiyah out of low-performing schools. But Janiyah still remains among the 50,000 students on a wait-list.
Mother and son Kelli and Gage Hake lost their husband and father, Army Staff Sergeant Christopher Hake, during his second tour of duty in Iraq. While on patrol, Sergeant Hake’s vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb supplied by Iranian terrorist leader Qasem Soleimani.
Jody Jones‘ brother, Rocky, was shot and killed by an illegal immigrant in Tulare County, California, in 2018. Rocky was known as a kind and gentle soul and left behind a daughter and four brothers.
Paul Morrow is a U.S. Army veteran who started a successful contracting business and is now building a concrete plant in Montgomery, Alabama, under a program that gives tax advantages for investment in lower-income areas.
Deputy Chief Raul Ortiz is the second in command at the U.S. Border Patrol and is in charge of more than 20,000 agents who work to keep the U.S. safe.
Tony Rankins suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and became addicted to drugs after serving in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. But thanks to a company called R Investments that trained Rankins in carpentry, painting and brick work, he now works in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Ellie Schneider was born in Kansas City, Missouri, to her mother, Robin, at just 21 weeks and six days. She is one of the youngest infants to survive premature birth in the United States and, today, is a healthy 2-year-old girl after beating the odds and surpassing key medical milestones.
Iván Simonovis was the chief of police in Venezuela’s capital but was imprisoned in 2004 for protecting protesters. He escaped from Venezuela in 2019 and now lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
