Trump's latest announcement from an interview with Axios was his plan to use an executive order to end birthright citizenship.
This action would essentially terminate one of the principal clauses of the 14th Amendment, which has been part of the U.S. Constitution since 1868. It was created to address the issue over whether or not former slaves were full citizens or not, its creation was fought bitterly by former Confederate states.
The 14th Amendment is important, and I could give us all a great history lesson on it, thanks to my AP US History and AP Gov teachers, but that is not the goal of my writings.
We need to instead discuss the issue of a president who is willing to violate something that has been part of the rule of law in this country for 150 years.
Trump stating this days before the election is no mere coincidence. Just like his action to deploy active-duty troops to the border before the election despite the oh so dreaded "caravan" of women and children being 2 months away from the US.
The President wants immigration to be one of the dominant issues on voters' minds when they enter the voting booths.
Trump has often stated he would use executive orders to push actions that might not make it through Congress, and he often fails to do so. Trump says a lot of things that are false or makes promises that never come to fruition.
It gets his base very excited though, and that's a problem. The 14th Amendment has been used in cases such as Roe v. Wade, Obergefell v. Hodge, and Brown v. Board of Education.
These are all cases that haven't gone conservatives' way. And now Trump, a man that has given them so much to the detriment of all their fellow countrymen (and women) has promised to get rid of something that has essentially been a thorn in their side for years.
Trump might not actually do it, because of how difficult the legal process could prove to be.
He is, after all, talking about subverting a constitutional amendment… but we have to come to the sober realization that Trump has a court that could side with him.
I'm not exclusively talking about the Supreme Court, Trump has stacked the lower courts with anti-immigrant far-right judges as well.
The Senate Democrats are of course complicit in this as well because they've made so many deals and compromises with Mitch McConnell that got all of the judges confirmed.
I'm sure Chuck Schumer would be great at subverting Trump if he were the majority leader, but as a minority leader, he has done a terrible job at resisting the worst of the administration's policies.
This is important to understand as the election comes up. Trump's policies represent the worst instincts in American politics. It is again important to protect the rights of the citizens of the world. Vote against the harmful policies of an administration that is anti-justice.
