CNN's Joan Biskupic says Trump was 'attentive' at Supreme Court's birthright citizenship argument

WASHINGTON, DC: CNN chief Supreme Court analyst Joan Biskupic said President Donald Trump appeared fully engaged during his rare appearance at Supreme Court oral arguments on Wednesday, April 1, even as the president ultimately left before the session concluded.

Recounting what she witnessed inside the courtroom, Biskupic stressed that Trump was not distracted or disengaged, noting, “as far as we could tell, he was attentive,” while observing arguments in the high-profile birthright citizenship case.

Joan Biskupic recounts Trump's response during hearing

Describing the scene to anchor Manu Raju, Biskupic painted a vivid picture of the unusual courtroom atmosphere created by Trump’s presence.

“So, you know, we were all aware he was there,” she said, adding, “people were trying to stand up to see him, and the guards were saying, ‘You have to sit down, you have to sit down. The Secret Service wants you all sitting down.’”

Despite the heightened security, she emphasized that Trump was treated much like any other high-profile visitor.

“It did not change essentially how it affected him as a visitor. It was as if he were a member of Congress coming in and sitting in that section,” she explained.

Biskupic also noted his behavior before proceedings began, saying, “He had about 10, 12 minutes before the proceedings started, and I saw him looking around, kind of scoping out the place,” adding, “It’s a beautiful setting.”

Her key takeaway remained his focus during arguments: “As far as we could tell, he was attentive.”

Trump slams birthright citizenship in post after hearing

Trump’s appearance marked a historic first, as no sitting US president had previously attended Supreme Court arguments in person.

The case itself challenges his executive order on birthright citizenship, with his legal team arguing that the Constitution’s phrase “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” should be interpreted more narrowly.

However, the courtroom moment was short-lived.

Trump exited before the hearing wrapped up and soon after took to social media to slam the policy, writing, “We are the only country in the world STUPID enough to have ‘Birthright’ Citizenship!”

The case, 'Barbara v Trump', centers on an executive order issued early in Donald Trump’s second term that aims to restrict automatic citizenship for children born in the US to undocumented immigrants or temporary visa holders.

A decision from the Supreme Court of the United States is expected by late June or early July, before the term concludes.