House Speaker Mike Johnson Calls Supreme Court Birthright Citizenship Ruling a ‘Mistake’ Amid National Security Fears

By Jim Thomas | Thursday, 02 July 2026 09:52 PM EDT
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., stated on Thursday that the Supreme Court “got this wrong” in its June 30 decision on birthright citizenship, asserting Congress is considering every option—including a constitutional amendment—to address what he described as abuse of the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause.

Johnson’s remarks followed the justices’ 6-3 ruling in Trump v. Barbara, which declared children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present citizens at birth, effectively reversing President Donald Trump’s executive order.

The House Speaker noted that the ruling left Republicans without an immediate legislative solution and that leaders remain analyzing the decision. “It may well require an amendment, but we’re looking at all possible angles to see if there’s anything short of that that Congress can enact by statute to try to limit these abuses,” he said.

Johnson acknowledged the challenges of amending the Constitution, which requires two-thirds support in both chambers and approval from three-fourths of states. While President Trump has urged Congress to codify his order through legislation, Johnson stopped short of endorsing that approach, stating lawmakers are still conducting “deep, deep analysis.”

Constitutional scholars have indicated the Court’s reasoning likely precludes a statutory fix.

Johnson cited Senator Mike Lee, R-Utah, who wrote minutes after the ruling that “we’re going to need a constitutional amendment,” as sharing his view. The House Speaker framed the issue as urgent, citing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s warnings about national security risks from Chinese nationals traveling to the U.S. with intent to give birth to citizens.

“They come here in the eighth month of pregnancy, have a child, and the child has dual citizenship,” Johnson stated, echoing Mullin’s concerns. “They send them back to China, they train them as Marxist spies, and then they send them back to the U.S. to come to our universities and work in corporate America.”

Federal agencies have not publicly confirmed data quantifying this practice.

Johnson also addressed the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America after Melat Kiros ousted 15-term Representative Diana DeGette, D-Colo., in Tuesday’s Denver-area primary. He warned of a broader ideological shift within Republican politics. “These are outright Marxist candidates,” he said. “We’re not arguing here in Washington anymore about marginal tax rates or regulation; we’re trying to decide if we’re going to maintain a constitutional republic.”

Johnson referenced early 20th-century Fabian socialists and noted that leftists have spent decades building institutional influence. “The barbarians are inside the gate now, serious business,” he added.

The House Speaker linked this moment to the need for the SAVE America Act, a proof-of-citizenship voting measure that stalled Tuesday when 14 Republicans joined Democrats to block a procedural rule, sending the House into an early holiday recess.