Ahead of the US Supreme Court’s hearing on birthright citizenship, President Donald Trump continued his pressure campaign demanding an end to it. At a press conference on Thursday, Trump said that birthright citizenship was meant for “babies of slaves” and not Chinese billionnaires. “We are the only country in the world that has it [birthright citizenship]. You step in our country and all of a sudden you’re citizen — this was not meant for Chinese billionaires — this was meant for the babies of slaves,” he said.
He further said it would be a “disgrace” if the judges ruled against him in the ongoing battle over birthright citizenship in the United States.
President Trump on birthright citizenship: “You step in our country and all of a sudden you’re citizen — this was not meant for Chinese billionaires — this was meant for the babies of slaves.”
pic.twitter.com/QNJSpaLiQg— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 21, 2026
A judgment in the case is expected soon as the Supreme Court nears the end of its term.
Trump has repeatedly broken with long-standing political norms by openly criticising Supreme Court judges and calling for support from those he nominated to the bench.
Speaking at the White House event, the Trump renewed his push for the court to support his effort to curb automatic citizenship rights granted to people born on American soil. At the same time, Trump suggested he believes the court may ultimately uphold the constitutional protection for birthright citizenship. “It would be a disgrace if the Supreme Court of the United States allows that to happen,” he said.
Calling the matter one of the most significant cases before the court, Trump remarked, “This decision by the Supreme Court is a very big one. They’ll probably rule against me because they seem to like doing that.”
Trump further said that if the birthright citizenship law stays, it would be an “economic disaster” for the country.
The Supreme Court has not yet indicated when it will deliver its verdict in the case, which is central to Trump’s larger immigration agenda aimed at tightening immigration controls and deporting undocumented migrants.
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Critics of Trump’s position argue that birthright citizenship is clearly protected under the US Constitution and contend that the president has gone beyond the limits of his executive powers.
Although conservatives hold the majority on the nine-member Supreme Court, the judges have not consistently sided with Trump on every policy matter. “It’s all up to a couple of people, and I hope they do what’s right,” Trump said, referring to possible swing votes among the justices.
Earlier on April 1, Trump intensified scrutiny on the court by personally attending a hearing related to the birthright citizenship case, becoming the first sitting US president to appear in the audience during such proceedings.
What is the US birthright citizenship case?
The legal dispute began after Trump, following his return to the White House last year, signed an executive order declaring that children born in the US to undocumented immigrants or people on temporary visas would no longer automatically receive American citizenship.
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Several lower courts later blocked the order, describing it as unconstitutional and ruling that the Citizenship Clause under the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to nearly everyone born on US territory.
Earlier this month, Trump also criticised the Supreme Court after it ruled that his sweeping tariff measures imposed on multiple countries were unlawful.
He had argued that Supreme Court justices should remain “loyal to the person that appointed them.”
During his first term as president, Trump appointed three justices to the Supreme Court, appointments that significantly strengthened the court’s conservative majority.
