As Trump sat on watching, Solicitor General John Sauer faced skeptical questions from almost all of the justices — including all three justices Trump appointed to the high court.
Thank you very much for your exceptional reporting on this unbelievable case. Notwithstanding the harm inflicted by the admin's position, I was tremendously relieved to read that the justices weren't impressed. We can't take anything for granted with this Court!
I tuned into the live coverage, thinking I’d listen for only a few minutes, and found myself riveted. Sauer was better than I expected, but I agree that he didn’t seem to have a winning hand (to paraphrase our president). Justice Jackson’s questions about temporary vs permanent jurisdiction over a person were insightful, I thought. I was one of those people who thought SCOTUS shouldn’t even hear this appeal, but now I think there’s a benefit to having a definitive ruling from this right-wing court upholding birthright citizenship. The question is: how many different concurring opinions will there be to confuse the issue?
Thank you, Mr. Geidner, for this report and for the heart-wrenching flourish at the end. It is heartening to know that at least seven of the nine clearly felt a similar 'wrench' in the case as argued. The abject racism of the Trump administration is an ugly, ugly thing. Over the last 250 years, we can factually trace trillions of dollars of wealth built up in the USA by the hands of immigrants, legal and undocumented, who also spent their hard-earned money on family and communities, and contributed to innovation in their adopted homeland. Over the past 30 years, our resourceful country had dozens and dozens of other choices at-hand in correcting the problems in our immigration system in humane, economically intelligent ways, but the Republicans put the kibosh on every, single one in favor of using immigration problems as racist wedges and fearmongering tactics. They found a person just odious enough in Trump to exact the cruelest and most inaccurate policy, ever, earning him and his administration millions as he gifted his donors even more with privatized jail contracts. Worse, they are spending billions to pay Gestapo-goons-in-training to perform this fraud, and now they're at the airports in a creeping expansion of fascism. But it isn't the money, really, and policy can be rewritten if we can take back Congress this fall -- it's the maiming of the American collective conscious, one that had just made some progress, at long last, in treatment of Black Americans and Indigenous rights. All this has been torn apart by DHS and ICE under Trump's command, killing innocent people along the way. However, I will believe in the righteous findings of the Supreme Court when I see it in print this fall. Until then, keep fighting the good fight, folks. We have a long way to go.
“One exchange highlighted the damage done just by President Donald Trump having forced this debate.” The slippery slope. When - if ever - are they going to say, “hell, no, go away with that ridiculous stuff.” They breathe life into the ridiculous and give it a life of its own.
Was Trump's mother a citizen when he was born was melania a citizen when baron was born ? Be careful what you ask for donald. I know you seldom connect cause and effect but you really should think this one through
Thanks for the clear explanations. The fact that this is even being addressed by the SC is emblematic of the twisted views of the regime when it comes to anyone not white and Christian. They are ok with white S African immigrants. Focusing on immigrants is just the start for these bigots.
I have the possibly unrealistic hope that the SCOTUS would simply say something like this is for Congress to initiate & that Trump must discontinue his overreaching Executive Orders. It would be a real good spot to do this by saying that the President cannot "Rule by Decree."
I listened to the entire proceeding and came away a *lot* more optimistic than I had been. Even Thomas seemed skeptical to me; it's Alito who I think would still like to rule for the regime if he can twist things in some way.
The only person I know who moved with his family to the US before the birth of a child was the German son of a high-ranking dissident who was executed by Hitler when their activities were discovered by the regime. His son wanted to have a safe country to escape to in the event that facism was revived in Germany.
It looks as if the Court might actually uphold the law and constitution against Trump. That shouldn't be a rare occurrence.
"Sauer tried to argue that ...didn’t exist at the time the ...Amendment...was written but is a relevant concern now."
It would be nice to apply that to the Second Amendment, e.g., automatic weapons didn't exist then but are a relevant concern now.
Thank you very much for your exceptional reporting on this unbelievable case. Notwithstanding the harm inflicted by the admin's position, I was tremendously relieved to read that the justices weren't impressed. We can't take anything for granted with this Court!
Relieved is exactly what I was feeling while reading Chris’s analysis. Very relieved. I hope it is a unanimous slap down.
I tuned into the live coverage, thinking I’d listen for only a few minutes, and found myself riveted. Sauer was better than I expected, but I agree that he didn’t seem to have a winning hand (to paraphrase our president). Justice Jackson’s questions about temporary vs permanent jurisdiction over a person were insightful, I thought. I was one of those people who thought SCOTUS shouldn’t even hear this appeal, but now I think there’s a benefit to having a definitive ruling from this right-wing court upholding birthright citizenship. The question is: how many different concurring opinions will there be to confuse the issue?
Thank you, Mr. Geidner, for this report and for the heart-wrenching flourish at the end. It is heartening to know that at least seven of the nine clearly felt a similar 'wrench' in the case as argued. The abject racism of the Trump administration is an ugly, ugly thing. Over the last 250 years, we can factually trace trillions of dollars of wealth built up in the USA by the hands of immigrants, legal and undocumented, who also spent their hard-earned money on family and communities, and contributed to innovation in their adopted homeland. Over the past 30 years, our resourceful country had dozens and dozens of other choices at-hand in correcting the problems in our immigration system in humane, economically intelligent ways, but the Republicans put the kibosh on every, single one in favor of using immigration problems as racist wedges and fearmongering tactics. They found a person just odious enough in Trump to exact the cruelest and most inaccurate policy, ever, earning him and his administration millions as he gifted his donors even more with privatized jail contracts. Worse, they are spending billions to pay Gestapo-goons-in-training to perform this fraud, and now they're at the airports in a creeping expansion of fascism. But it isn't the money, really, and policy can be rewritten if we can take back Congress this fall -- it's the maiming of the American collective conscious, one that had just made some progress, at long last, in treatment of Black Americans and Indigenous rights. All this has been torn apart by DHS and ICE under Trump's command, killing innocent people along the way. However, I will believe in the righteous findings of the Supreme Court when I see it in print this fall. Until then, keep fighting the good fight, folks. We have a long way to go.
History, in fact, does not favor Trump here. Sauer conveniently forgot about the over 100 years before Wong Kim Ark where Birthright Citizenship was also the law: https://crossingpointspolicy.substack.com/p/the-heiress-of-congress-spring?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=th8gw
“One exchange highlighted the damage done just by President Donald Trump having forced this debate.” The slippery slope. When - if ever - are they going to say, “hell, no, go away with that ridiculous stuff.” They breathe life into the ridiculous and give it a life of its own.
Was Trump's mother a citizen when he was born was melania a citizen when baron was born ? Be careful what you ask for donald. I know you seldom connect cause and effect but you really should think this one through
Thanks for this quick/trenchant analysis of the argument, CG. Keep up the great work.
I’m not a lawyer but the argument from the government sounded ridiculous to me!
Thanks for the clear explanations. The fact that this is even being addressed by the SC is emblematic of the twisted views of the regime when it comes to anyone not white and Christian. They are ok with white S African immigrants. Focusing on immigrants is just the start for these bigots.
I have the possibly unrealistic hope that the SCOTUS would simply say something like this is for Congress to initiate & that Trump must discontinue his overreaching Executive Orders. It would be a real good spot to do this by saying that the President cannot "Rule by Decree."
I haven’t read or listened yet but Thomas opening w Dred Scott doesn’t seem auspicious for the regime.
Excellent easy to understand reporting. Thank you.
I listened to the entire proceeding and came away a *lot* more optimistic than I had been. Even Thomas seemed skeptical to me; it's Alito who I think would still like to rule for the regime if he can twist things in some way.
The only person I know who moved with his family to the US before the birth of a child was the German son of a high-ranking dissident who was executed by Hitler when their activities were discovered by the regime. His son wanted to have a safe country to escape to in the event that facism was revived in Germany.