A decade ago, I wrote a cover story for Reason magazine titled "Trump vs. the Constitution." It explained how then-candidate Donald Trump's call to abolish the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship for millions of U.S.-born children ran afoul of the text, history, and original meaning of the 14th Amendment. It also noted the dismaying fact that so many Republicans appeared ready to support Trump's unconstitutional agenda.
"Most Republicans claim to revere the Constitution," I wrote. "Yet when it comes to the issue of birthright citizenship, far too many Republicans, from Ed Meese on down to Donald Trump, seem willing to ignore the text and history of the 14th Amendment. Not exactly a reassuring indication of the GOP's fidelity to originalist constitutional principles."
