A Thursday decision by the Supreme Court to take up President Donald Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship in the United States was described as “huge” by CNN’s Paula Reid.
“We've seen this tension between the White House and the judiciary building, and nothing vexes President Trump more than the fact that lower court judges can – a single judge – can block his policy for the entire country,” Reid, the network’s chief legal affairs correspondent, said.
But while the legal battle on the surface revolves around Trump’s plan to end birthright citizenship through executive order, Reid said the high court will take up the issue of whether lower court judges had the authority to issue nationwide holds on executive orders.
“I think it's so interesting that what brings this issue to the Supreme Court is birthright citizenship,” Reid said Thursday. “Because for all their bravado, the Trump legal team has about how their policies are going to be upheld by the Supreme Court, this is the one where they sort of tell me, ‘we're not sure we're going to win.’”
ALSO READ: 'Retribution or bust’: 'Secretary of Retribution' joins J6 leaders to demand mass arrests
She added: “So it's interesting, it’s become like a Trojan horse to get this bigger issue of the power of judges before the high court.”
Reid told CNN’s Jake Tapper that presidents in modern times have faced frustrations over federal judges blocking their policies. But she noted that Trump has been more affected than others.
“Look, no one has had more policies blocked than Trump because he's issued a record number of executive orders, and he plays at the edges of constitutional power,” she said. “The argument in favor of allowing judges to do this is that you have one policy governing the entire country, and the policies can be paused while they are vetted.”
