6 Months, 6 Statements: Trump's Key Remarks In 2026 On US Birthright Citizenship

Last Updated:June 30, 2026, 19:45 IST

Trump has opposed birthright citizenship for years, including during his first presidency.

US President Donald Trump has made ending birthright citizenship one of the defining legal battles of his second term, repeatedly criticising the constitutional guarantee and predicting that the US Supreme Court would rule against his administration.

On January 20, 2026, the first day of his second term, Trump signed an executive order seeking to end automatic US citizenship for children born in the country to parents who are either in the United States illegally or on temporary visas.

However, multiple lower courts blocked the order, holding that it likely violates the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment, which has long been interpreted as guaranteeing citizenship to almost everyone born on US soil.

Trump has opposed birthright citizenship for years, including during his first presidency. In April 2026, he took the unusual step of personally attending oral arguments at the US Supreme Court as the justices heard the challenge to his executive order.

The US Supreme Court will give its ruling on birthright citizenship today.

Here is a look at Trump’s key statements on birthright citizenship in 2026:

February 23, 2026

Trump predicted that the Supreme Court would rule against him after it struck down his administration’s sweeping tariff policy. He said the justices would likely “find a way to come to the wrong conclusion" on birthright citizenship following what he described as a “ridiculous" ruling on tariffs.

March 30, 2026

The president argued that birthright citizenship was being exploited by wealthy foreigners. “Birthright Citizenship is not about rich people from China, and the rest of the World, who want their children, and hundreds of thousands more, FOR PAY, to ridiculously become citizens of the United States of America."

April 21, 2026

Trump again said he expected to lose the case at the Supreme Court, describing the current birthright citizenship policy as “a disaster for the United States of America."

He added that “no Country can be successful with such an anchor wrapped firmly around its neck."

May 10, 2026

The president once again predicted an adverse ruling, saying he did not “want loyalty" from Supreme Court justices but expected them to act “for our Country." He also argued that: “A negative ruling on Birthright Citizenship, on top of the recent Supreme Court Tariff catastrophe, is not economically sustainable for the United States of America!"

May 21, 2026

Trump said it would be “a disgrace" if the Supreme Court ruled against his administration. “This decision by the Supreme Court is a very big one. They’ll probably rule against me because they seem to like doing that," he said.

June 11, 2026

Trump intensified his criticism of the policy, saying the United States could no longer sustain birthright citizenship. “The US cannot live with the shackles of Birthright Citizenship. It is not economically, or otherwise, sustainable, and no other Country in the World, of consequence, does it!"

Trump’s repeated comments underscore how central birthright citizenship has become to his immigration agenda. While he has consistently argued that the policy places an economic and legal burden on the United States, opponents maintain that the Constitution’s 14th Amendment clearly guarantees citizenship to nearly everyone born on American soil.

The Supreme Court’s eventual ruling is expected to have far-reaching implications for immigration policy, executive authority and constitutional law in the United States.

About the Author

Saurabh VermaSenior Sub-editor

Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Chief Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19

News world 6 Months, 6 Statements: Trump's Key Remarks In 2026 On US Birthright Citizenship

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