In a bold move, President Donald Trump has announced plans to personally attend Supreme Court hearings as he pushes to terminate birthright citizenship in the United States, a step that would mark a significant departure from tradition.
During a session in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump stated his intention to head over to the Supreme Court to observe the oral arguments firsthand. This decision may spark debates about the potential implications for the constitutional principle of separation of powers.
When questioned by a reporter about the case, Trump declared, “And I’m going.”
The President explained his decision by saying, “I’m attending because I have listened to this argument for so long.”
Trump further elaborated, “This is not about Chinese billionaires or billionaires from other countries suddenly having numerous children, who then become American citizens. This issue originally pertained to slaves.”
The concept of birthright citizenship was enshrined in the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, which was designed to ensure citizenship for newly freed slaves. However, it has since been applied to all individuals born on U.S. soil or within its territories.
As part of his hardline immigration policies, Trump signed an executive order ending birthright citizenship on Inauguration Day 2025.
Lower courts have ruled that the executive order is unconstitutional.
President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Tuesday that he planned to travel to the Supreme Court Wednesday morning to listen to oral arguments in the birthright citizenship case
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the case at 10:30 a.m. ET Wednesday.
In October, Trump previously said he’d be going to the Supreme Court to watch arguments related to his tariff case, but he ended up pulling out.
That case did not go in his favor, despite the Court being made up of a 6-3 conservative majority, with the justices striking down Trump’s authority to broadly impose tariffs, as he had done since the beginning of his second term.
Chief Justice John Roberts, appointed by President George W. Bush, along with Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, both Trump appointees, joined the three liberals in the February decision.
Trump fumed over the decision, calling it a ‘disgrace.’
Asked about his views on the justices now, Trump answered, ‘I love a few of them.’
‘I don’t like some others,’ he added.
The President complained about the justices appointed by Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
An exterior shot of the Supreme Court on Monday with spring flowers blooming outside. President Donald Trump said he plans to take an unprecedented trip to the high court to watch proceedings Wednesday
‘I don’t care how good your case is, you can have the greatest case ever. They’re going to rule against you. They always do. And it’s not supposed to be that way,’ Trump said.
The justices appointed by Republicans, Trump said, ‘tend to be very different.’
‘They want to show how honorable they are. So a man can appoint them and they can rule against them,’ the President continued. ‘We’re so proud we ruled against Trump. We’re so proud. We’re above it.’
‘And there are those that say that’s wonderful, and there are those who say that’s so stupid,’ the President added.
The Supreme Court is supposed to act as a separate but equal branch of the government.
That’s why presidents have historically never attended the oral arguments of a case.
They tend to only travel to the Supreme Court for ceremonial occasions.
Trump had made such a trip during his first term, he said.
‘I went once before, the opening of the Supreme Court in the last administration,’ the President said.
