Trump says he would strip US citizenship ‘in heartbeat’

Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he would strip naturalised Americans of their citizenship “in a heartbeat” if he believed they were dishonest or posed a threat.

Trump made the remarks in an interview with The New York Times last week, the transcript of which was released Sunday, during a contentious exchange about immigration, national security, and citizenship.

“If they deserve to be stripped, I would, yes,” Trump said when asked whether he would revoke citizenship from naturalized Americans. Pressed further, he added, “I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

Trump said his administration was “looking at criteria” for such actions, though he did not outline specific standards. He rejected suggestions that citizenship protections should be absolute, arguing that national loyalty and honesty should determine eligibility.

During the course of the interview that lasted for about two hours in the Oval Office, Trump repeatedly focused on Somali Americans while discussing immigration, describing Somalia as “one of the worst in the world” and claiming that people from the country had caused serious problems in the United States.

Asked directly whether people of Somali descent were a group he was considering for citizenship revocation, Trump replied, “Sure I would,” adding, “if they were dishonest.”

Trump singled out Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, saying she should be “immediately thrown out of Congress” and sent back to Somalia. When asked whether she should lose her US citizenship, Trump replied, “Oh, absolutely.”

New York Times reporters challenged Trump on the lack of evidence for some of his claims, including allegations about Omar’s personal history, which they said were unproven. Trump rejected those objections and insisted his views were justified.

He dismissed concerns that his comments painted entire communities with a broad brush, saying, “I don’t care. I want great people in this country. I want people that love the country.”

Trump argued that judges could block him under certain circumstances but suggested that his authority was broader in areas tied to law and order. He said he had been elected on promises of border control and public safety.

The president also raised the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, which would expand presidential powers to deploy the military domestically, though he said he had not yet felt the need to do so.

Trump’s remarks come amid ongoing legal battles over immigration enforcement, deportations and civil rights, as well as broader debates over the constitutional limits of executive authority.

Under US law, citizenship revocation is rare and typically requires proof of fraud during the naturalization process, with courts playing a central role.

IANS