President Donald Trump issued a sharp reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision on birthright citizenship Tuesday, posting a brief message on Truth Social that congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping on the legal outcome.
“I would like to congratulate President Xi, and the Great Country of China, on their massive Birthright Citizenship WIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” Trump wrote following the court’s 6–3 ruling in Trump v. Barbara.
The high court’s decision officially struck down Trump’s Executive Order 14160, which had sought to deny automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants and temporary visitors by shifting the executive branch’s interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment. Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority opinion, anchoring a decision that firmly constitutionalizes birthright citizenship.
Legal scholar and FOX News contributor Jonathan Turley reacted to the ruling on Tuesday, calling it a decisive victory for the policy while noting the deep historical debate surrounding it.
“It is a roaring decision in favor of birthright citizenship as contained within the 14th Amendment,” Turley said. “That is despite the countervailing evidence of some of the drafters of that amendment that they did not want this to be something that would cover birthright citizenship. Now, having said that, there are very good arguments on both sides here, good-faith arguments.”
Turley noted that Chief Justice Roberts delivered a comprehensive argument, but emphasized that the ruling leaves the ultimate decision to the country on whether to examine a constitutional change. “Some countries that have had birthright citizenship got rid of it, because many of us believe it’s an incredibly ill-considered policy,” Turley added.
Trump’s focus on China echoed sentiments shared by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who gave a real-time reaction to the ruling during a speech at The Villages on Tuesday. DeSantis argued that the Fourteenth Amendment was originally designed to correct post-Civil War racial injustices and overturn the Dred Scott decision, not to protect modern international travel trends.
“It was not to have people show up from China for two weeks, have babies, get them citizenship, and then go back to China,” DeSantis told the crowd. “I mean, how ridiculous has this become?”
DeSantis added that the outcome would be “devastating” if the court completely blocked any future legislative limits. Commenting on the split court, DeSantis noted that dissenting Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas were “on the right side” of the issue.
The ruling has also prompted a legislative counteroffensive in Washington. Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt called the decision a disaster for American sovereignty and announced plans to introduce both a constitutional amendment and immediate legislation. Seizing on a distinct separate opinion authored by Justice Brett Kavanaugh—which suggested Congress retains the power to amend immigration statutes to create exceptions—Schmitt stated that “the majority tried to constitutionalize unlimited birthright citizenship,” but added that “Justice Kavanaugh may have left Congress a door. I’m filing legislation to walk through it.”
READ: Jonathan Turley: Supreme Court Birthright Decision Shifts Battle To Congress
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