US President Donald Trump took to social media to criticise birthright citizenship, saying the US is “the only country… stupid enough” to allow it, as he headed to the Supreme Court to observe a key hearing on the issue.
The US is among about 30 countries, mostly in the Americas, that grant automatic citizenship to anyone born within their borders. In contrast, many countries across Asia, Europe and parts of Africa follow the right of blood principle, where citizenship is based on parents’ nationality rather than place of birth.
Trump earlier today left the White House for the Supreme Court, where he briefly attended oral arguments in a case linked to his executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship. His visit to SC is expected to mark the first time a sitting US president has attended Supreme Court oral arguments.
Trump arrived at the courthouse via motorcade from the White House and took a seat in the front row of the public gallery. He stayed for a little over an hour, leaving shortly after the government’s lawyer concluded arguments and before the challengers finished presenting their case, news agency Reuters reported.
As per the news agency, Trump and other attendees rose to their feet as the court marshal made the customary announcement beginning with “Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!” — meaning “Hear ye!” — to mark the beginning of the court session. Despite the historic nature of the visit, Chief Justice John Roberts did not acknowledge the president’s presence.
The case stems from an executive order signed by Trump in January 2025, which seeks to deny automatic citizenship to children born in the US to non-citizen parents. The move challenges the long-standing interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which has generally been understood to grant citizenship to those born on US soil.
The order was quickly challenged by civil rights groups and several states, leading to multiple court rulings that have blocked its implementation so far. Lower courts have raised constitutional concerns, putting the policy on hold.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case later in 2025, and the current proceedings are expected to examine both the legality of the order and the scope of earlier injunctions.
The outcome of the case could have broader implications for US immigration policy, although a final ruling is still awaited.
