Trump to attend court on birthright case
Washington: US President Donald Trump said he plans to attend a US Supreme Court hearing on birthright citizenship, as the top court prepares to take up a closely watched legal challenge to his executive order on the issue.
“I think so. I do,” Trump said when asked if he would be present in court. “Because I have listened to this argument for so long.”
The case centres on Trump’s effort to end automatic citizenship for children born in the United States to non-citizen parents, a long-standing constitutional interpretation rooted in the 14th Amendment.
Trump framed his argument in historical terms, linking birthright citizenship to the post-Civil War period. “This was about slaves,” he said, adding, “It had to do with the babies of slaves and the protection of the babies of slaves.”
He argued that the current application of the policy had strayed from its original intent. “It didn’t have to do with the protection of multi-millionaires and billionaires wanting to have their children get an American citizenship,” Trump said.
Calling the existing system flawed, he said, “It is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. It’s been so badly handled by legal people over the years.”
Trump also criticised what he described as misuse of the policy. “We’re getting all of these people… saying, congratulations, your whole family is going to be a citizen of the United States of America,” he said.
The President expressed confidence in his legal position but also voiced concerns about judicial outcomes. Referring to judges appointed by Democratic presidents, he said, “You can have the greatest case ever… they’re going to rule against you.”
He contrasted that with Republican-appointed judges, saying they often “want to show how honorable they are” by ruling independently.
The issue has become increasingly politicised in recent years, with Republicans arguing for tighter restrictions and Democrats defending the existing interpretation as a fundamental constitutional guarantee.
The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868 after the Civil War, established birthright citizenship to ensure that formerly enslaved people and their descendants were recognised as US citizens.
Legal experts have long debated the scope of the amendment, but courts have historically upheld a broad interpretation, making any change subject to intense judicial scrutiny.