Trump Proves He Doesn't Understand How Citizenship Works In Bonkers Interview

President-elect Donald Trump was criticized after he openly lied about birthright citizenship and showed he doesn't understand how it works in an interview with Meet the Press on Sunday.

Birthright citizenship is a legal concept that grants citizenship automatically at birth. It exists in two forms: ancestry-based citizenship and birthplace-based citizenship. The latter, known as jus soli, a Latin term meaning "right of the soil," grants citizenship based on the location of birth.

In the United States, birthright citizenship is enshrined in the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which declares that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside."

Currently, 33 countries worldwide (along with two territories) offer unrestricted birthright citizenship. This list includes nations such as Argentina, Canada, Jamaica, and Mexico.

But after host Kristen Welker asked him if he still plans to abolish birthright citizenship "on day one" and questioned if he has the ability "to get around the Fourteenth Amendment," Trump said:

"We may have to make a change. We may have to go back to the people but we have to end it. We're the only country that has it, you know? We're the only country that has it."

“Did you know, if somebody sets a foot — just a foot, one foot, you don’t need two — on our land, congratulations, you are now a citizen of the United States of America. Yes, we’re going to end that, because it’s ridiculous."

His contention that if someone just steps foot within the United States betrays a deep ignorance of not just birthright citizenship, but of how becoming an American citizen actually works for anyone seeking to become an American citizen.

Welker did not push back against Trump’s completely inaccurate characterization of birthright citizenship or his claim that the United States is unique in recognizing it. However, she did ask whether he planned to implement his proposed change through executive action.

He replied:

“Well, if we can, through executive action. I was going to do it through executive action, but then we had to fix COVID first, to be honest with you.”

You can watch their exchange in the video below.

Trump was swiftly called out for once again not knowing what he is talking about.

A constitutional amendment carries more weight than an executive order in the U.S. system of government, but Trump’s stance reflects a longstanding belief that steps should be taken to prevent the children of undocumented immigrants from claiming U.S. citizenship. Of course, he doesn't seem to have minded it when it enabled his father to claim citizenship as a result of having been born here.

CNN previously reported that Trump’s new administration might stop issuing passports to these children, potentially setting the stage for a legal battle over the issue.

Additionally, Trump’s team may increase the use of “expedited removal” for undocumented immigrants nationwide without court hearings, potentially challenging another clause of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law to every person.

Both Trump and his incoming "border czar," Tom Homan, have stated they are willing to deport the parents of U.S. citizen children.