Washington is buzzing after President Donald Trump boasted he could strip citizenship from Americans ‘in one moment.’ In a revealing New York Times interview last week—transcript out Sunday—Trump justified it as a tool against those disloyal or threatening to the nation, igniting fury and fascination.
Focus fell on naturalized citizens: immigrants who legally became American after birth abroad, entitled to every right. Asked point-blank, Trump confirmed: ‘If it should be taken, I would do it.’ How fast? ‘Immediately,’ he stressed.
Standards are in the works under his watch, hinging on fidelity and integrity to America. The deep-dive chat in the Oval Office touched immigration repeatedly, with Trump zeroing in on Somali-Americans. He branded Somalia among the globe’s most troubled spots, claiming its migrants sparked major US woes.
Directly queried on Somali citizens as revocation targets, he said, ‘If they’re dishonest, I certainly would.’ Targeting Rep. Ilhan Omar, the Minnesota Democrat, Trump called for her ouster from Congress and return to Somalia. Her citizenship? ‘Oh, absolutely’ gone, he declared.
Journalists pushed back on evidentiary gaps, including unsubstantiated digs at Omar. Trump rejected the critiques, doubling down. Community-wide generalizations? ‘I don’t care,’ he retorted. ‘I want people who love the country.’
He conceded judicial roadblocks but touted expansive powers on security and borders, his election pillars. The Insurrection Act loomed large too—a relic empowering military intervention in state failures—though unused for now.
Timing is everything: this drops amid lawsuits challenging immigration crackdowns, deportations, rights erosion, and executive overreach. Citizenship loss is a legal unicorn, needing proven deceit in naturalization and court approval. Trump’s unfiltered take tests those boundaries, reshaping discourse on who truly belongs in America.