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Supreme Court Reaffirms Birthright Citizenship in Loss for Trump; Supreme Court: States May Ban Trans Athletes in Girls' Sports; Rep. Kean Returns to Congress After Four-Month Absence. Aired 11:30- 12p ET

Aired June 30, 2026 - 11:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[11:30:00]

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): -- serve a noble, important purpose, and has been thwarted and overused and abused. And so, I'm sure that we'll continue to look at that. I mean, I'm sure the conclusion from this opinion is going to be that you've got to amend the Constitution to fix that. As we all know, it's a big challenge to amend the Constitution. It's only happened 27 times in our whole nation's history. And the reason is because you've got to have two-thirds of both chambers of Congress and three-fourths of the states to ratify. It's usually, you know, at least a many years long process and very complicated.

We'll see. I'm sure there's going to be lots of discussion about that. I will say I'm very disappointed in that outcome. I think it subjects the country to serious challenges going forward, and we'll have to deal with it as a Congress. Last one.

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ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Now, Johnson there spoke about how challenging it would be to amend the Constitution to try to address birthright citizenship. That would require both chambers to approve an amendment with a two-thirds majority. And you just think about all the divisions that have occurred between both Democrats and Republicans, but also within the Republican Party. That is likely to make this task even more difficult.

Now, we will see whether lawmakers might try to find some way to address this through legislation. But for now, Johnson is simply expressing his disappointment, something that is echoed by many Republicans up here on Capitol Hill. But the reality of actually being able to do something in this Congress to address this seems unlikely.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Arlette Saenz up on Capitol Hill, I know you're going to be getting more reaction and we'll check back with you.

Right now, I want to go back to Pamela Brown. She's over at the Supreme Court watching all of this unfold. Pamela.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Wolf. I want to bring in Cecillia Wang, she is with the ACLU and she actually argued in front of the Supreme Court on this case, defending the rights of immigrants and trying to reaffirm birthright citizenship, which is exactly what happened today at the high court.

So, Cecillia, thank you so much for coming on. You yourself are a birthright citizen. I'm wondering what this opinion here today means to you.

CECILLIA WANG, NATIONAL LEGAL DIRECTOR, AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION: So, thank you so much, Pamela. This is a day of celebration for the efforts of hundreds of thousands of American families who would have been harmed by President Trump's executive order.

And more than that, the millions upon a million upon millions of Americans who believe in the birthright citizenship clause that Congress wrote in 1868 and that was ratified by this country. This decision reaffirms one of the fundamental pillars of American life, that all of us who are born on American soil are citizens alike. So, it's a day of celebration for everyone who's affected. And that means all Americans.

BROWN: You have spent much of your career, Cecillia, defending immigrants' rights in America. You said in a recent interview that you're defending a right that has long been central to defining what it means to be an American. What is your definition of being an American?

WANG: So, the 14th Amendment's birthright citizenship clause as part of the Reconstruction Amendments of the Constitution were hard won by African-Americans who fought for freedom, who fought to end the notion of caste in this country.

So, President Trump, in this executive order and in so many of his other executive actions, was trying to talk about immigration. But what he was doing was profoundly well beyond immigration policy. President Trump was attacking this fundamental notion, hard won through a civil war, through the efforts of free black Americans to win equal citizenship rights for everyone born on American soil. That's a fundamental part of what it means to be American, that we all are treated equally under the law and that we're all citizens when we're born here. Nothing could be more American.

As I said when I started talking at the Supreme Court on April 1st during the argument in this case, ask any American what our citizenship rule is and they will tell you, if you're born here, you're a citizen, just like everyone else. And that couldn't be more fundamental to who we are as a nation. It's something that the president tried to attack in his executive order. And thankfully, that attack was fended off and definitively turned back by the Supreme Court today.

BROWN: I mentioned earlier you are yourself a birthright citizen. You were born in Oregon when your parents were still on student visas, making you a U.S. citizen by birth. Part of the president's argument is that this leads to the birthright citizenship, leads to what's called birth tourism, basically those visiting America so that they can give birth so that their child is an American citizen. How do you respond to that?

[11:35:00]

WANG: Look, this was part of President Trump's propaganda, his spin, trying to go after marginalized immigrant communities, trying to make this issue of so-called birth tourism, which is a miniscule spin, trying to go after marginalized immigrant communities, trying to make this issue of so-called birth tourism, which is a miniscule portion, a fraction of 1 percent of all births in the United States. He says he's going after immigrants, but in fact, what he was doing affects all of us in this country.

And so, the response I would give to President Trump and to those who sided with him is that the wisdom of the framers of the 14th Amendment and the Reconstruction Amendments, the wisdom of African-Americans who fought for citizenship for all, not just for themselves, is triumphing today. And no amount of spin, no amount of propaganda that tries to divide Americans, that tries to scapegoat immigrant communities who are contributing to our country and to U.S. communities around the country, no amount of that spin can erase the achievement of the 14th Amendment. That's the lesson of the case.

BROWN: Very quickly, Cecillia, we heard earlier House Speaker Mike Johnson teasing that birthright citizenship could be dealt with by Congress. It's something Justice Kavanaugh mentioned in his opinion. What do you make of that?

WANG: Look, millions and millions of Americans, the vast majority of the American public loves birthright citizenship the way it is, the way that it was ratified in this country in the in the 1800s. This is a pillar of who we are as a nation. So, if they want to try and overturn it by constitutional amendment, good luck to them because they're going against the will of the people of this country, of the United States.

BROWN: All right. Cecillia Wayne. Thank you so much. We appreciate it. Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. There's more news that we're following. Major decisions just handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court. The justices allowing states to ban transgender athletes from playing on girls' sports teams. The lawyer for the plaintiff in this transgender case will join us live. That's coming up right here in the Situation Room. And our special coverage will continue right after a quick break.

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[11:40:00]

BLITZER: Let me get back to our breaking news. The United States Supreme Court upholding laws in West Virginia and Idaho that ban transgender students from participating in girls' sports. This could have a huge impact for the dozens of other states that have similar bans already in place.

Joining us now is Joshua Block, senior counsel for the ACLU. He argued on behalf of Becky Pepper-Jackson, the plaintiff in the West Virginia case. Joshua, thanks very much for joining us. You said the ban constitutes unlawful discrimination. What are your takeaways from today's Supreme Court decision?

JOSHUA BLOCK, SENIOR COUNSEL, ACLU: Well, it's obviously a devastating decision for the transgender girls who just want to have the same opportunities that other girls do. At the same time, it's a fairly narrow decision. It applies only in the context of sports. It doesn't say that states can't choose to allow transgender girls to participate if they want to. And the court didn't give the sweeping sort of ruling that the other side was asking for.

It didn't say that transgender discrimination is OK under the Constitution. And it didn't cast doubt on protections for trans kids outside of the specific context of sports. So, it's obviously a loss, but we hope it's a loss that stays narrow and is confined just to the specific context of sports.

BLITZER: I want to play for you and our viewers some sound from Becky Pepper-Jackson. You argued on her behalf. She's been very vocal, recently posted this to Instagram. Listen to this.

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BECKY PEPPER-JACKSON, PLAINTIFF IN TRANSGENDER SPORTS BAN CASE: In 2021, politicians in my state passed a law banning me, the only transgender student athlete in the entire state, from playing on the team that reflects who I really am. I know this case isn't just about me or even just about sports. It's just one part of a plan to push transgender people like me out of the public life entirely.

My message to young queer people is that they are not alone, that there are people out there for them and they should never feel like they don't have support because there are hundreds of people experiencing the same things as them. And no matter where you are, you have a support system. And it's just a matter of finding it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: So, Joshua, have you heard from Becky yet this morning?

BLOCK: Yes, yes. We are so proud of Becky and thankful to her for doing this, for being a beacon of hope to other transgender kids. You know, Becky knew that whether she wins or loses this case, she's not a quitter and she wanted to stand up for herself to show that this was wrong. And I think she's changing hearts and minds in the process.

So, Becky is a hero. We knew that before. And I think that it's a shame that she had to go through this horrible experience and grow up over the course of a lawsuit.

[11:45:00]

But I really take inspiration from her. And I think in time, people are going to see today's decision as a historic mistake. BLITZER: You argued that West Virginia's ban ignored individual medical realities, and you pointed out that your client, Becky, had been on puberty blockers, never underwent male puberty and does not have the physical advantages the state claims to restrict. Have you spoken to Becky about that specifically? And what comes next for her?

BLOCK: Well, on that specific point, what's really sort of shocking about the court's decision is they didn't hold that Becky has any advantages. They said it doesn't matter. They said that West Virginia and Idaho can exclude girls like Becky even if she has no inherent physiological sex-based advantages at all. And that's really why this is sort of a rank discrimination that ultimately is disconnected from protecting fairness and safety and excludes all transgender girls, including Becky, regardless of whether any of those concerns actually apply in her case.

And that's all that she's been asking for. She's been asking to be treated as an individual instead of a broader, you know, sex-based group. And that's what the Constitution is supposed to provide her and everyone else the protections of.

I think that, you know, she knows that it's a rough road ahead, but she's been preparing for this. And I think that being able to see this case through to the end has by itself been a really powerful experience for her. She's not a quitter and she learned that from sports.

BLITZER: Yes, she's impressive. How will today's ruling transform the landscape across the country, Joshua? What is the ACLU prepared to do now?

BLOCK: Well, I think that the focus now shifts to stopping the Trump administration's attempts to force the other states to exclude transgender girls from participating. The Trump administration has been trying to rewrite Title IX to say that states must discriminate against trans students. And I think they were hoping that this decision would put some wind in their sails. And I think at every point in the decision, it really undercuts that argument. It says that there are deeply felt feelings on both sides and that this is a policy issue that's left up to states.

So, we encourage, you know, states and localities to continue to protect transgender students. And we're going to fight to ensure that they're able to continue to do so.

BLITZER: All right. Joshua Block of the ACLU, thanks so much for joining us.

BLOCK: Thank you.

BLITZER: Up next, the New Jersey congressman is back on Capitol Hill today for the first time. He has revealed the reason for his four- month absence. We'll share that with you. That's just ahead.

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[11:50:00]

BLITZER: And there's breaking news from Capitol Hill right now. The New Jersey Congressman, Tom Kean Jr., has returned, returned after a nearly four-month absence from Congress. This is the first time we have seen Kean up on Capitol Hill since early March, the last time he cast a vote in the House of Representatives. The only explanation we had been hearing was that he was dealing with a so-called health issue. And just moments ago on the House floor, Kean revealed the reason for his absence.

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REP. TOM KEAN JR. (R-NJ): Mr. Speaker, I rise today with deep gratitude for the patience, the kindness, the prayers, and the concern that have been shown to me and my family over the course of the last several months.

This is not an easy speech for me to give. I am a private person by nature, and I have spent most of my life talking about the people that I represent, the issues facing our communities, and the work that continues to be done. Talking about myself has never come naturally. But I believe that I owe an explanation to the people of New Jersey's 7th District, to my colleagues in this chamber, and to the American people for my absence.

Several months ago, due to health concerns, I entered the hospital for some testing. I did not believe that this would result in a long-term stay. I was given the diagnosis of depression.

Now, when people hear the word depression, many people think it simply means feeling sad. But depression is so much more than that. It is physical. It is emotional. And until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be.

The doctors recommended that I remain in the hospital to address my illness. They explained to me that this would be the fastest way to recovery. And to be honest, I was hesitant. I didn't think that I had time for it. I had responsibilities to my family. I had responsibilities to my constituents. I had responsibilities to this institution. And like many people, I believed that I could simply push through. But I agreed to follow my doctor's recommendations. Again, not believing that it would result in a long-term stay.

[11:55:00]

I began to understand not only my diagnosis, but how long depression had been affecting my life. When I first informed the public that I was dealing with a medical issue, I was still trying to understand what was happening myself. When I said I hoped to return in a matter of weeks, I believed it. Those were the best estimates that the doctors could provide.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Kean's absence has made the math more complicated for the speaker, Mike Johnson, and the Republicans' razor-thin majority in the House. And if you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, there is help out there, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

And thanks very much for joining us this morning. You can always keep up with Pamela and me on social media, at Wolf Blitzer and at Pamela Brown CNN. We'll see you back here tomorrow morning, every weekday morning, 10:00 a.m. Eastern. Inside Politics today with our friend and colleague Manu Raju starts right after a quick break.

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