Donald Trump weighs jus soli change amid midterm election pressure

Historian Gregory Alegi of Luiss explained that President Donald Trump is considering an executive‑order attempt to end birthright citizenship (jus soli) to shore up Republican support ahead of the November midterm elections. Alegi noted that such a change would require a constitutional amendment to the Fourteenth Amendment and would spark a broad congressional debate, risking the loss of Latino voters who have recently shifted toward the GOP.

The historian pointed out that the Supreme Court’s recent decision on the matter showed a 60% opposition among the justices, underscoring the legal difficulty of the proposal. He warned that abandoning jus soli could become a politically volatile weapon, especially as the administration faces declining poll numbers, ongoing conflicts such as the war in Iran, and setbacks on other policy fronts like tariff reforms and postal‑voting restrictions.