Trump arrives at Supreme Court to attend birthright citizenship arguments

Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times on Apr 1, 2026

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday became the first sitting president to attend oral arguments at the Supreme Court, inserting himself directly into a high-stakes legal battle over one of the most consequential orders of his administration.

Trump arrived at the court Wednesday morning by limousine for arguments over whether the president has the authority to effectively rewrite the Constitution by ending birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to parents who are in the country unlawfully or temporarily.

In the run-up to Wednesday's arguments, Trump suggested that Supreme Court justices appointed by Republicans who have ruled against his agenda are "so stupid."

"Some people would call it stupidity; some people will call it disloyal," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday.

"Dumb Judges and Justices will not a great Country make!" the president wrote on Truth Social on Monday.

The unprecedented appearance highlights how high Trump believes the stakes are, according to Adam Winkler, a constitutional law professor at UCLA.

"It's not clear why Trump is attending," Winkler said. "Maybe he is just interested in the unusual drama of a Supreme Court argument. Or perhaps he is trying to intimidate the justices, like the scene in 'The Godfather Part II' where the mob boss shows up at a hearing to scare the witness into recanting his testimony."

Regardless, Trump's presence probably won't change any minds on the bench, Winkler said.

The justices prize their independence, including many who share Trump's judicial philosophy. Still, it will likely change the mood, Winkler said — most hearings are quiet and academic.

The birthright citizenship order, which Trump signed on the first day of his second term, is a keystone of his administration's broad immigration crackdown.

Trump has framed the policy as a necessary step to curb what he describes as abuse of the immigration system.

"Birthright Citizenship is not about rich people from China, and the rest of the World, who want their children, and hundreds of thousands more, FOR PAY, to ridiculously become citizens of the United States of America. It is about the BABIES OF SLAVES!"

Every lower court that has considered the issue has found the order illegal and prevented it from taking effect. A definitive ruling by the nation's highest court is expected by early summer.

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