WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump on Thursday used the Oval Office to sign a pair of executive orders that simultaneously reshape federal birthright citizenship policy and shore up American manufacturing, with a particular focus on the domestic polysilicon sector. Flanked by senior adviser Stephen Miller and White House counsel Will Sharf, Trump framed the directives as a long-overdue response to what he called a “big business” built around so-called birth tourism.
The twin orders arrive against the backdrop of a Supreme Court ruling that Trump bluntly described as a “bad” and “very unfair” decision. Rather than abandon the effort, the administration pivoted to alternative legal authorities. “We’re ending it a different way,” Trump told reporters gathered in the Oval Office, asserting that the United States is essentially the only major nation still granting automatic citizenship based solely on soil.
Organized Rings and “Baby Mills” at the Center
Central to the new enforcement framework is a crackdown on what Sharf characterized as “organized rings at times criminal rings” that funnel tens of thousands of expectant parents into the country specifically to secure U.S. passports for their newborns. Sharf pointed to Section 215A of the Immigration and Nationality Act, a provision he called “probably one of the strongest laws in the entire federal code” yet one that has rarely been invoked. The statute, he argued, grants the president clear authority to deny visas when the stated purpose of travel is fraudulent.
“Birth tourism is by definition a fraud on the American system, on the American taxpayer, on the American visa,” Sharf explained. He stressed that anyone who tells a consular officer they are visiting as a tourist but whose actual intent is to enter a “baby mill” and “mint an American citizen” is committing fraud. Under the new orders, visas will be denied not only to prospective parents suspected of that intent but also to the individuals who organize and facilitate these operations. Sharf insisted the measures fall squarely within existing legal boundaries and run “not afoul of any of the Supreme Court’s opinions on the subject.”
Trump himself illustrated the scale of abuse by citing cases in which one family head claimed 56 children and another claimed 98. “Hundreds of thousands” of people exploit the system annually, the president estimated, noting that Solicitor General John Sauer had been unable to provide a firm figure during Supreme Court proceedings. Trump argued the Fourteenth Amendment’s citizenship clause was drafted in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War to protect the children of formerly enslaved people, not to serve as a loophole for “wealthy multi-millionaires” and “billionaires” arriving with dozens of children in tow.
Miller, who has been a driving force behind the administration’s immigration agenda, outlined what he called “very big, big crackdowns” ahead, saying the executive orders give enforcement agencies the tools to act “in a much more forceful manner.” He added that the practice “should have been” addressed years ago. A full White House fact sheet detailing specific enforcement mechanisms was expected to follow.
Polysilicon Protections and Domestic Manufacturing
The second executive order signed during the ceremony targets protections for the U.S. polysilicon industry, a critical input for semiconductor and solar-panel manufacturing. Officials presented the measure as part of a broader push to reduce dependence on foreign supply chains and strengthen American-made goods, tying trade policy directly to national economic security.
Affordability, Oil Prices, and the Iran Question
Reporters pressed Trump on Republican messaging around cost-of-living concerns heading into the midterm elections. The president countered that he “inherited the highest prices ever” and “the worst inflation in the history of our country,” but pointed to falling crude costs as evidence of improvement. Oil, he said, has dropped to around $75 a barrel, and he recalled stopping in Iowa where gasoline was selling for $1.85 to $1.95 a gallon. He predicted a return to those price points once the current conflict involving Iran concludes.
Trump characterized U.S. military action against Iran as a necessary “excursion” to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, warning that the consequences would be “catastrophic” not just for the Middle East but for the entire world. “We had no choice,” he said.
On the status of a key maritime strait, Trump declined to confirm a formal reopening deal but indicated the waterway is “sort of open” under a U.S. Navy blockade. He acknowledged the lingering threat of naval mines, noting that even a single mine could deter operators of billion-dollar vessels. Still, he expressed optimism, saying, “It could be soon.”
Munitions Stockpiles and Ukraine Aid
Questions also turned to a pending $21 billion supplemental request to replenish U.S. munitions reserves. Trump pushed back against any suggestion of shortages, insisting the country holds a “virtually unlimited supply” of certain high-powered weapons while conceding that other categories are “a little bit tighter.” He highlighted that American defense contractors are currently constructing more production facilities for Patriot and Tomahawk systems “than at any point in history.”
The president criticized the Biden administration for transferring what he put at $300 billion in military equipment to Ukraine “free of charge,” arguing that it depleted stockpiles he had built up during his first term. When asked about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s public appeals for long-range missiles and additional Patriot batteries, Trump replied simply, “We want missiles, too,” underscoring that Washington must replenish its own arsenals first. He added that the U.S. maintains munitions caches “all over the world” as a further strategic reserve.
Todd Blanch Confirmation and Domestic Political Questions
On the legislative front, Trump said he would “lobby very, very diligently” for the confirmation of Todd Blanch, a nominee facing a Senate vote, calling him “outstanding” and suggesting that any senator voting against him “would be doing a great disservice to the country.” He indicated he had already spoken with some undecided members and would reach out to others, including Senators Murkowski and Cassidy, if necessary.
Trump was also asked about reports that he told donors JD Vance should be elected president in 2028. The president laughed off the idea of a formal endorsement, saying Vance is “great” but that the country is “way too early to even be thinking about that.”
On the matter of Dr. Anthony Fauci, Trump stopped short of directly calling for prosecution but drew pointed comparisons to the cases of Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon, whom he described as “two very decent people” jailed under Attorney General Merrick Garland for offenses Trump said had never been prosecuted before. “You sort of say maybe he should,” Trump said of Fauci, adding that “what he did is far more serious than a lot of crimes, frankly.”
Representative Max Miller’s upcoming primary deadline also came up. Trump declined to weigh in on whether Miller should withdraw, calling the circumstances “very, very sad.”
Russia-Ukraine War: “The Most Difficult” Conflict
Closing the session, Trump offered a sobering assessment of the Russia-Ukraine war, estimating that roughly 25,000 soldiers—mostly young men—are killed every month. He described a conflict saturated with “a lot of hatred” between the two leaders and admitted that, despite having brokered resolutions to eight previous wars, this one has proven “the most difficult.” Still, he maintained that “progress is being made” toward an eventual end to the fighting.
“We’re working on it,” Trump said, before thanking reporters and ending the wide-ranging Oval Office press availability.
