President Trump confirmed a Thursday report byĀ AxiosĀ that he’s “thinking of” issuing an executive order to include a controversial citizenship question on the 2020 census.
“We’ll see what happens”
Source: Trump Says He’s Considering Executive Order On Census Citizenship Question
Speaking with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday, Trump said “We’ll see what happens,” and that his administration hasĀ four or five options.Ā He added that he has consulted with Attorney General William Barr on the matter.
On Thursday,Ā AxiosĀ quotedĀ a senior administration official as saying “We didn’t come this far just to throw in the towel.”
Administration lawyersĀ are exploring various legal options.
- A senior legal source said:Ā “The administration is considering the appropriateness of an executive order that would address the constitutional need for the citizenship question to be included in the 2020 census.”
- But there is considerable skepticismĀ within the administration that an executive order would succeed. –Axios
Former federal judge J. Michael Luttig toldĀ Axios: “If the president of the United States were to issue an executive order, supported by his full Article II powers, directing that the citizenship question be included in the 2020 census,Ā I believe the Supreme Court would affirm the constitutional power of the president to include the citizenship question in the census.”
Last week the US Supreme CourtĀ dealt a blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to include the citizenship question, backing lower court decisions which found theĀ government’s reasoning for placing a citizenship question on the 2020 question to be “invalid.”
Chief Justice John Roberts joined the liberal justices in a 5-4 ruling in theĀ Dept. of Commerce v. New York, in which the state of New York sued over the hot-button question.
…..United States Supreme Court is given additional information from which it can make a final and decisive decision on this very critical matter. Can anyone really believe that as a great Country, we are not able the ask whether or not someone is a Citizen. Only in America!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 27, 2019
