US President Donald Trump has once again stirred controversy, this time with a sharp and bizarre attack on birthright citizenship.
In a post shared early Monday on his platform Truth Social, Trump argued that the constitutional protection was originally meant for the “babies of slaves” and not for children born in the US to wealthy foreigners or temporary visitors.
Trump wrote that birthright citizenship was not meant for “rich people from China and the rest of the world” who, according to him, use the system to secure American citizenship for their children.
He went on to claim that the provision was specifically created in the aftermath of the Civil War to protect the rights of former slaves, and accused the US legal system of being “stupid” for allowing the issue to continue.
His comments come just as the US Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on April 1 in a key legal battle involving his administration’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship.
What Is the Issue?
Birthright citizenship in the United States comes from the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, three years after the end of the Civil War.
The amendment clearly states that all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to its jurisdiction, are citizens of the country.
It was introduced in part to overturn the infamous Dred Scott ruling of 1857, in which the US Supreme Court had denied citizenship to people of African descent.
Trump’s Order Under Challenge
On his first day back in office in January 2025, Trump signed an executive order aimed at ending automatic citizenship for children born in the US to undocumented immigrants or parents on temporary visas.
The order argued that such parents are not fully “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States, and therefore their children should not automatically receive citizenship.
The move immediately triggered legal challenges and has now reached the Supreme Court.
Political Heat Builds Again
Trump’s latest remarks are already drawing criticism for both their tone and historical framing.
While his supporters see it as part of his tough immigration stand, critics argue that he is once again using provocative language to push a deeply divisive political issue.
With the Supreme Court set to hear the case, the debate over birthright citizenship is now back at the centre of American politics and Trump is making sure it stays there.