moot court (13. 314)

The first for a sitting US president, Trump will attend oral arguments as the supreme court holds a hearing on a lower court ruling that struck down his executive order limiting birthright citizenship (see previously here and here). The appeal, if upheld and overruling the earlier verdict, will upend the established view that under the fourteenth amendment to the constitution, all individuals are conferred US citizenship regardless of the status of their parents whom are born on US soil. Though unclear whether his attendance will intimidate the justices and put a thumb on the scales but we can presume to know what Trump’s objective is. Previously, the president had entertained attending a hearing which ultimately ruled his reciprocal tariff scheme illegal but decided against it, saying it would be a distraction. The case on today’s docket won’t be decided likely until the early summer but this preliminary session will shape the trajectory of the arguments. Much more at the links above.