‘Deeply ignorant, cruel man’: Trump’s family lashes out against deportation threats

Donald Trump’s niece, Mary L. Trump, speaks out against her uncle’s deportation threats, pointing out that his rhetoric ignores a big part of his own family’s history.

During his presidential campaign, Trump promised that he would instigate the largest deportation in United States history and has floated threats to end birthright citizenship. Recently, he appeared on Meet the Press for an interview, during which he doubled down on his deportation plans. He confirmed that he wants to deport every undocumented immigrant, indicating he would start with “criminals” before moving on to “others.” When asked if he still intended to revoke birthright citizenship, he confirmed it was “absolutely” still part of his plan. Meanwhile, he seemed unconcerned about the 14th Amendment, which protects birthright citizenship, flippantly suggesting he may just have to “change” the Constitution.

Following the interview, Mary spoke out against her uncle and highlighted just how ignorant and hypocritical his threats to the 14th Amendment are.

Mary L. Trump slams Donald Trump’s deportation threats

During an interview with MSNBC, Mary slammed Trump’s vow to end birthright citizenship. Not only did she call his plans “despicable,” but she also suggested “he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” She stated, “I think that’s the first time he’s ever heard any part of the Constitution in his life.” After all, Trump seems to be forgetting that his own father is a first-generation American. Mary points out, “So if it hadn’t been for birthright citizenship, my grandfather probably wouldn’t have been allowed to stay here.” She concluded that Trump was simply a “deeply ignorant, cruel man.”

Trump’s father, Frederick Christ Trump, Sr., was, indeed, a first-generation American born to German immigrant parents in New York City in 1905. Meanwhile, Trump’s threats of revoking birthright citizenship aren’t the only way his immigration policies have blatantly ignored his family history. His own grandfather, Friedrich Trump, likely would’ve been removed from the country under a Trump presidency. In 1885, Friedrich entered the U.S. from Germany as an unaccompanied minor to evade conscription. Today, he likely would’ve been placed in a detention center before being expelled from the country. On top of that, despite spewing constant xenophobic rhetoric about immigrants “poisoning” America, Trump is also married to an immigrant from Slovenia: Melania Trump.

Mary reminded Americans yet again that Trump’s immigration rhetoric has always been laced with hypocrisy and irony, given his family history dating back to the late 1800s. While calling out his ignorance, she conceded that he’d likely have difficulty ending birthright citizenship. Regardless of his own beliefs in his power, he can’t simply snap his fingers and change the Constitution on a whim. However, the fact that he will try is still concerning, especially since Republicans will control Congress and the House, meaning America must rely on the GOP to do what’s right. Mary stated that birthright citizenship is yet “another instance in which we are in the unfortunate position of having to rely on Republicans to do the right thing and protect American citizens.”