Trump Says He’ll End Birthright Citizenship On ‘Day One’ – Even Though He Can’t

According to Donald Trump, he will immediately end birthright citizenship on “day one” of his administration, even though the U.S. Constitution specifically prohibits such a move.

During an interview with Kristen Welker of NBC News, Trump was asked, “You’ve promised to end birthright citizenship on day one. Is that still your plan?”

“Yeah, absolutely,” Trump replied.

“The 14th Amendment, though, says that, quote, all persons born in the United States are citizens,” Welker explained. “Can you get around the 14th Amendment with an executive action?”

“Well, we’re going to have to get a change,” Trump responded. “We’ll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it.”

“Through an executive action?” Welker pressed.

“Well, if we can, through executive action. I was going to do it through executive action, but then we had to fix COVID first, to be honest with you. We have to end it.”

By way of explanation, birthright citizenship can indeed be found in the 14th Amendment, which reads:

“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.“

That could not possibly be any clearer. And that’s the way it’s supposed to be. There are not two classes of U.S. citizens. If you’re born on U.S. soil, you’re an American, no matter who your parents are or where they’re from.

Of course, as anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of the Constitution knows, Trump cannot end birthright citizenship via executive order or any other presidential action. That would require an amendment, which would have to be ratified by two-thirds of the states.

It’s also doubtful that even the six right-wing justices on the U.S. Supreme Court would agree to take away the right to be an American by birth.

Trump and his advisers may be able to pull the wool over the eyes of their poorly educated minions, but most Americans are not about to sit idly by and let would-be dictator Donald shred the law without putting up a fight.