US President Donald Trump has defended his controversial decision to end birthright citizenship, arguing that the constitutional protection was originally designed for the children of enslaved people rather than wealthy immigrants. Trump made the remarks during an interview with Politico, months after signing an executive order to halt birthright citizenship on his first day back in office in January 2025.

Trump claimed that the legal precedent behind automatic citizenship for those born on US soil dates back to the post–Civil War era and was crafted specifically to secure the rights of formerly enslaved communities.

“The case was meant for the babies of slaves… not for some rich person coming from another country and suddenly their whole family becomes U.S. citizens,” he said, calling a

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