Mary Trump, the estranged niece of President Donald Trump, described his father as an “anchor baby” as the Supreme Court heard arguments about whether the president’s executive order ending birthright citizenship is constitutional.
The Claim
Mary Trump, the daughter of Fred Trump Jr., who frequently voices criticisms of her uncle’s administration, responded to the Supreme Court arguments in a post on X. Birthright citizenship is the legal right to U.S. citizenship held by anyone born on U.S. soil, regardless of whether the person’s parents are citizens.
“My grandfather was an anchor baby. It turns out the best case against birthright citizenship is Donald,” she wrote.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung responded to her post in a statement to Newsweek, writing, “Mary Trump is a stone-old loser who doesn’t have a clue about anything.” Newsweek also reached out to Mary Trump via email for her Substack.
The Facts
An “anchor baby” is a political term used to describe a child born in the U.S. to non‑citizen parents, with the implication that the child’s U.S. citizenship—which is obtained through birthright citizenship—could help the parents remain in the country.
Fred Trump Sr.—the father of Donald Trump and grandfather of Mary Trump—was born in New York City in October 1905 to Friedrich and Elizabeth Trump, both of whom were born in Germany and had immigrated to the United States.
Friedrich Trump, the grandfather of President Trump, first immigrated to the United States in the 19th century from Bavaria, according to the Gotham Center for New York City History. He married Elizabeth Christ in 1902 in Kallstadt, and the two moved back to New York City. After about a year, they decided to move back to Germany.
However, German officials accused him of initially leaving Germany to avoid military service, and he was ordered to leave the country, though he denied that was the reason he went to the U.S. The couple ended up returning to New York City. Elizabeth was pregnant with Fred Trump Sr. at the time, according to the Gotham Center.
Friedrich Trump had obtained citizenship in 1892—more than a decade before Trump’s grandfather would be born, according to the Gotham Center.
Friedrich Trump also wrote that he obtained citizenship by 1892 in a letter published by Harper’s Magazine in 2017.
“I emigrated in 1885, in my sixteenth year. In America I carried on my business with diligence, discretion, and prudence. God’s blessing was with me, and I became rich. I obtained American citizenship in 1892,” he wrote.
The Ruling
Based on available historical records, Fred Trump Sr. does not meet the definition of an “anchor baby.”
He would have obtained his citizenship through his father, who had been a U.S. citizen for more than a decade by his birth. Although his parents did briefly return to Germany before his birth, there has not been any reporting that his father lost his citizenship during that time.
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