‘If it hadn’t been for birthright citizenship’: Trump’s family calls out hypocrisy over potential birthright citizenship attacks

Mary Trump criticized her uncle, President Donald Trump, for threatening to end birthright citizenship. The president-elect’s niece pointed out that birthright citizenship had been key to establishing their family’s roots in the United States.

At an MSNBC interview, Mary Trump accused her uncle of cruelty and ignorance for wanting to end birthright citizenship. The president-elect’s niece stated further, “If it hadn’t been for birthright citizenship, my grandfather probably wouldn’t have been allowed to stay here.” Donald Trump’s father, Frederick Trump, was a son of two immigrants from Germany. Meanwhile, the president-elect’s own mother was an immigrant from Scotland.

Donald Trump was asked about his mass deportation plans at Meet the Press with Kristen Welker. In line with the president-elect’s mass deportation agenda, Welker clarified if he would also end birthright citizenship. Welker added that birthright citizenship is established in the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. Trump confirmed to Welker that he would end birthright citizenship—through executive action, if possible. The president-elect claimed, “We have to end it. We’re the only country that has it.” The United States is not the only country that grants birthright citizenship.

Is it possible to end birthright citizenship?

Trump said that he had to “fix COVID,” which was why he wasn’t able to get rid of birthright citizenship during his first term. Critics, however, are skeptical that Trump could pursue such an ambitious crackdown on citizenship. An executive order can’t override the Constitution.

The 14th Amendment’s first section states, “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.” The U.S. Constitution essentially considers a child a U.S. citizen so long as they were born on U.S. soil, even if their parents are not U.S. citizens. Simply put, the incoming president’s prejudices against birthright citizenship don’t matter.