‘I’m Not Sure I Agree’: Stephen A. Smith Pushes Back on Birthright Citizenship Ruling

Stephen A. Smith pushed back on the Supreme Court’s ruling on birthright citizenship, which rejected an executive order from President Donald Trump.

On his Straight Shooter show, Smith ran through recent rulings by the Supreme Court, including the 6-3 decision that struck down a Trump executive order and essentially reaffirmed the 14th Amendment.

The president and other Republicans have pushed back on the ruling and called on Congress to act to take down the law giving citizenship to almost anyone born on United States soil.

Smith said he understood the court’s decision, but added he has no problem with the law being “challenged.”

He argued:

I’m not sure I agree with that decision. The Constitution’s the Constitution and the 14th Amendment of the Constitution says what it says so I get that part, but if folks are coming over here unlawfully and illegally, intending to give birth on American soil just to ensure that the child is an American citizen, I don’t have a problem with that being challenged. And I’m a support of migrants. I think those who are here should be left to be here unless they’re committing lawless acts, but you’ve got to control the borders. You have to. Every other nation does it. We should be able to do it too.

Trump’s executive order denied citizenship to babies born to parents in the country illegally or who are temporary residents.

“Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights — to freely participate in our political community. The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to ‘every free-born person in this land,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the court’s opinion. “We keep that promise today.”

Trump demanded Congress take action following the court’s decision.

“The Supreme Court upheld Birthright Citizenship, which is too bad for our Country, but we can easily make it up in Congress through Legislation, with the support of the President, that has now been determined during this process,” he wrote on Truth Social. “No long and unwieldy Constitutional Amendment is necessary! Congress should start TODAY to work on ending expensive and unfair to our Country, Birthright Citizenship. They will have my Complete and Total Support!”

Watch above via Straight Shooter with Stephen A. Smith.

Jason Cohen contributed to this report.

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