The Supreme Court handed President Donald Trump a significant defeat by striking down his executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship, ruling that the 14th Amendment protects the practice. But Trump wasted no time pivoting to a new strategy, as The American Tribune reported, outlining a legislative path through Congress that he believes can accomplish what his executive action could not.
Trump made history during this case by becoming the first sitting president to attend a Supreme Court hearing in person. Despite the unfavorable outcome, he quickly turned to his Truth Social platform to rally support for a congressional solution.
In his post, Trump acknowledged the loss but framed it as an opening. He wrote that the Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship, calling it "too bad for our Country," but argued the administration can "easily make it up in Congress through Legislation." He emphasized that the ruling itself established that no constitutional amendment would be required, just a standard piece of legislation with presidential backing.
Trump urged lawmakers to act immediately, writing, "No long and unwieldy Constitutional Amendment is necessary! Congress should start TODAY to work on ending expensive and unfair to our Country, Birthright Citizenship. They will have my Complete and Total Support!"
The president also took a sarcastic swipe at China over the issue of birth tourism, posting a tongue in cheek congratulations to President Xi Jinping on "their massive Birthright Citizenship WIN." The 14th Amendment was originally designed to guarantee citizenship for the children of freed slaves, but critics like Trump argue it has been exploited through birth tourism and other practices that were never intended by its framers.
While the birthright citizenship ruling grabbed the biggest headlines, Trump was quick to point out that another decision handed down the same day was, in his view, far more consequential. The Slaughter case overturned the nearly century old Humphrey's Executor precedent, a ruling that had limited presidential authority to fire certain federal bureaucrats. Trump called it "the biggest and most consequential Decision issued by the Court, by far."
Trump drew a direct line from the Slaughter ruling back to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who famously tried and failed to expand the Supreme Court after losing power through the original Humphrey's Executor decision. "This Decision gives tremendous additional Power back to the Presidency, where it belongs," Trump wrote.
Wrapping up his assessment of the day's rulings, Trump struck a triumphant tone overall, saying it was "an Honor" to be the president who finally won the Slaughter case after decades of legal battles. He acknowledged the birthright citizenship setback but reaffirmed his intent to pursue the issue through legislation, concluding that "the Republican Party was treated very fairly by the United States Supreme Court."
The ball now sits squarely in Congress's court. Whether Republican lawmakers have the votes and the appetite to take on birthright citizenship legislatively remains to be seen, but Trump has made clear he considers the fight far from over.
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