Trump rips Paul Ryan, says he should focus on keeping House not birthright citizenship
President Trump took a very public dig at Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan Wednesday, saying the Wisconsin Republican should be "focusing on holding the Majority rather than giving his opinions on Birthright Citizenship, something he knows nothing about!"
Mr. Trump jabbed one of the top leaders of his own party after Ryan said Tuesday the president "cannot end birthright citizenship with an executive order," the clearest objection to the president's proposal from GOP leadership. The latest CBS News polls show Democrats are likely to take control of the House away from Republicans in next week's midterms. The president's own campaign schedule generally veers away from competitive House districts.
"Paul Ryan should be focusing on holding the Majority rather than giving his opinions on Birthright Citizenship, something he knows nothing about!" Mr. Trump tweeted Wednesday. "Our new Republican Majority will work on this, Closing the Immigration Loopholes and Securing our Border!"
Days out from the midterms, however, it is Mr. Trump who has brought birthright citizenship to the forefront of the political conversation. In an interview with Axios that aired Tuesday morning, the president declared he will end the right in the 14th Amendment via executive order, and claims the Constitution does not cover birthright citizenship.
Ryan made his remarks on Tuesday in a local radio interview with WVLK in Tennessee.
"Well you obviously cannot do that," Ryan said, asked for his position on the president's proposal. "You cannot end birthright citizenship with an executive order. We didn't like it when Obama tried changing immigration laws via executive action, and obviously as conservatives we believe in the Constitution. You know as a conservative, I'm a believer in following the plain text of the Constitution and I think in this case the 14th Amendment is pretty clear, and that would involve a very, very lengthy constitutional process."
Ryan and Mr. Trump have clashed in the past, particularly during the 2016 presidential election. But the two have, at least publicly, generally made peace and Ryan has been supportive of the president's agenda.
Ryan is retiring at the end of the current session of Congress.