Jeff Carey is a veteran reporter covering sports and architecture. He was the founding editor of the Minneapolis Mini Times, a local paper with a circulation of more than 500,000. He divides his time between the east and west coast.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday said his administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a prior decision that struck down his executive order on birthright citizenship, arguing that the legal questions surrounding the policy deserve further consideration.
Speaking during a White House media briefing, Trump emphasized that requesting Supreme Court review does not amount to directing the justices toward a particular outcome.
"All I did was ask for a review. I didn't say, 'you have to do this,'" Trump said.
The president also praised Chief Justice John Roberts, describing him as "a smart, tough man" whose reputation has grown because of his leadership of the nation's highest court.
"This man is a smart, tough man, John Roberts, and his stock has gone through the roof because the job he has done has been great," Trump said.
The administration's appeal follows a court ruling that invalidated Trump's executive order seeking to limit automatic U.S. citizenship for certain children born in the United States. The order has been the subject of extensive legal challenges, with opponents arguing that it conflicts with the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.
Trump said during the briefing that he was not initially familiar with the 14th Amendment or its broader legal implications when discussions surrounding birthright citizenship first arose.
"I didn't initially know what the 14th Amendment was or what its consequences were," he said, "but I feel like we have to have all the most patriotic citizens anywhere."
The president characterized the court's prior ruling as a "horrible" decision and criticized the way the case had been handled. He argued that judicial questioning of the government's legal argument made it seem worse than it was.
At Thursday's briefing, Trump reiterated that his administration is seeking judicial review rather than a predetermined outcome, saying the Court should have the opportunity to consider the constitutional questions raised by the case.
Jeff Carey is a veteran reporter covering sports and architecture. He was the founding editor of the Minneapolis Mini Times, a local paper with a circulation of more than 500,000. He divides his time between the east and west coast.
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