Mike Johnson groans as Supreme Court blocks Trump

House Speaker Mike Johnson reacted with visible disappointment after the Supreme Court ruled against President Donald Trump’s push to change birthright citizenship, describing the practice as having been “abused” and arguing it has fueled “birth tourism.” The

House Speaker Mike Johnson didn’t wait for the talking points. He learned about the Supreme Court ruling against President Donald Trump on birthright citizenship in real time—during a press conference—and his frustration showed before the policy debate even got going.

“Oh dear, what’d they rule?” Johnson asked after being told the Court had ruled against Trump. He then let out a long groan—sounding like “hmmmm”—as if he’d just heard something he didn’t want to be true.

“I need to read the opinion, okay,” Johnson said, still visibly stung. He added that, even if he could frame the decision as a “textualist, literalist view,” he believed it had been “grossly abused in recent years.”

Johnson also defended the core political point Trump has used to attack birthright citizenship: that outsiders—often described as coming to the United States specifically to secure citizenship for their children—turn a constitutional promise into a system that benefits some at the expense of others. He called “birth tourism” a “serious problem.”.

Trump has argued that the Fourteenth Amendment was designed to ensure the children of enslaved people gained citizenship. Johnson. while not repeating the same historical phrasing in his remarks. framed the modern application as something that has “morphed” into a “great scam. ” echoing Trump’s characterization.

The Supreme Court ruling arrived Tuesday morning with a 6-3 vote. In the majority opinion. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that citizenship “was the right to have rights— to freely participate in our political community.” He said the Fourteenth Amendment’s promise extends to “every free-born person in this land. ” and that “We keep that promise today.”.

Johnson disagreed with the outcome. He told reporters he believed American citizens are being “ripped off” by what he described as an abusive practice.

“It’s become birthing tourism, a trend where you just come onto the soil and have your child and then they’re able to avail themselves of the welfare state and everything else,” Johnson said. “It’s been abused.”

He argued the constitutional purpose—serving “a noble and important purpose”—has been “thwarted and overused and abused.”

When pressed on what could be done next, Johnson said Congress could perhaps pass a law to tighten birthright citizenship. He also made clear how hard that would be, saying he knew it would be difficult to get done.

By the end of his remarks, his disappointment was still plainly visible. He said he was “very disappointed” by the ruling.

The decision itself was written as a continuation of the Constitution’s existing meaning. The fight now shifts to whether Johnson and Trump backers can overcome the Court’s interpretation through legislation—an approach Johnson suggested, even as he acknowledged the obstacles.

Mike Johnson Supreme Court birthright citizenship Donald Trump Fourteenth Amendment birth tourism House Speaker John Roberts