CITIZENSHIP/GOP/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump said on Wednesday [10-31-18] the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee the right to citizenship to everyone born in the country, an assertion that runs counter to the long-established legal interpretation of the document…The Constitution’s 14th Amendment, added after the Civil War, grants citizenship to anyone born on American soil and was intended to give constitutional protections to former slaves. But some Republicans, including Trump, say it creates an incentive for people to enter the country illegally to have children…Trump first raised the issue of scrapping birthright citizenship on Tuesday [10-30-18]. The proposal gained support from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally. But other party members were critical, including House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, who said the president could not end the right with the stroke of a pen. Trump – who has made rhetoric against illegal immigrants and policies to curb both illegal and legal immigration key themes of his presidency – has raised it in rallies ahead of the Nov. 6 election, in which Republicans are trying to maintain control of Congress in the face of challenges by Democrats.”
–Lisa Lambert and Doina Chiacu, “Trump contends U.S. Constitution does not cover birthright citizenship,” Reuters, October 31, 2018 6:31 am