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Other Than Protecting Birthright Citizenship, the 14th Amendment Could Also Bar You-Know-Who From Holding Office
The convicted felon a month away from getting his former job back is, naturally, making headlines lately because of his desire to attempt to revoke birthright citizenship, a guarantee in the Constitution’s 14th amendment, from natural-born citizens of immigrant parents.
He claims he can do it by executive order.
One thing we should have learned if we haven't already is to assume everything this man says is either a lie or so embarrassingly ignorant, it would be laughable but for it coming from a former and future president of the United States. Despite occupying the Oval Office for four years, he has not gained any more insight into how the US government works, nor does he apparently care to learn.
No president can just cancel a constitutional right by executive order. Only an act of Congress, adhering to the necessarily complex process of amending the Constitution, can do that.
That doesn’t mean the former slumlord won’t try.
With a republican majority about to occupy the next Congress, it’s possible we will see someone on Capitol Hill introduce legislation, thinking it will get him or her into the president’s good graces.