Can We End Birthright Citizenship? (ft. Ilan Wurman) episode artwork

EPISODE · May 25, 2026 · 53 MIN

Can We End Birthright Citizenship? (ft. Ilan Wurman)

from Moment of Truth

This week on Moment of Truth, Nick sits down with Professor Ilan Wurman of the University of Minnesota Law School for one of the most illuminating legal conversations the show has ever had. Wurman makes the full originalist case that the conventional wisdom on birthright citizenship rests on two shaky pillars: a misreading of the common law and a misreading of the 14th Amendment. He explains why birth alone was never actually the rule at common law, what "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" really meant to the people who wrote it, and why the social compact theory changes everything. He also gives his honest read on Trump v. Barbara, what he thinks the Supreme Court will do, and what Congress could do right now if it decided to act. This one is for immigration hawks and legal eagles alike. Follow Ilan: https://x.com/ilan_wurman Check out his podcast: https://x.com/rationallypod Find his book: https://www.cambridge.org/us/universitypress/subjects/law/constitutional-and-administrative-law/constitution-1789-new-introduction?format=PB&isbn=9781009485692 This episode is brought to you by STAED, the official drink of Moment of Truth. Follow American Moment across Social Media:X / Twitter – https://x.com/americanmomentFacebook – https://www.facebook.com/AmMomentOrgInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/ammomentorg/YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4qmB5DeiFxt53ZPZiW4TcgAmerican Moment's "Moment of Truth" Podcast is recorded at the Conservative Partnership Campus in Washington DC, produced by American Moment Studios, and edited by Hunter Smith, with original graphics by Jared Cummings.Subscribe to our Podcast, "Moment of Truth"Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moment-of-truth/id1555257529Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/5ATl0x7nKDX0vVoGrGNhAj Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Moment of Truth, Nick sits down with Professor Ilan Wurman of the University of Minnesota Law School for one of the most illuminating legal conversations the show has ever had. Wurman makes the full originalist case that the conventional wisdom on birthright citizenship rests on two shaky pillars: a misreading of the common law and a misreading of the 14th Amendment. He explains why birth alone was never actually the rule at common law, what "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" really meant to the people who wrote it, and why the social compact theory changes everything. He also gives his honest read on Trump v. Barbara, what he thinks the Supreme Court will do, and what Congress could do right now if it decided to act. This one is for immigration hawks and legal eagles alike. Follow Ilan: https://x.com/ilan_wurman Check out his podcast: https://x.com/rationallypod Find his book: https://www.cambridge.org/us/universitypress/subjects/law/constitutional-and-administrative-law/constitution-1789-new-introduction?format=PB&isbn=9781009485692 This episode is brought to you by STAED, the official drink of Moment of Truth. Follow American Moment across Social Media:X / Twitter – https://x.com/americanmomentFacebook – https://www.facebook.com/AmMomentOrgInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/ammomentorg/YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4qmB5DeiFxt53ZPZiW4TcgAmerican Moment's "Moment of Truth" Podcast is recorded at the Conservative Partnership Campus in Washington DC, produced by American Moment Studios, and edited by Hunter Smith, with original graphics by Jared Cummings.Subscribe to our Podcast, "Moment of Truth"Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moment-of-truth/id1555257529Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/5ATl0x7nKDX0vVoGrGNhAj Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Can We End Birthright Citizenship? (ft. Ilan Wurman)

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This episode was published on May 25, 2026.

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This week on Moment of Truth, Nick sits down with Professor Ilan Wurman of the University of Minnesota Law School for one of the most illuminating legal conversations the show has ever had. Wurman makes the full originalist case that the...

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