Live at the National Constitution Center

President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship has reignited debates over the 14th Amendment and the meaning of citizenship in America. Legal experts Gabriel Chin of the University of California, Davis School of Law; Amanda Frost of the University of Virginia School of Law; Kurt Lash of the University of Richmond School of Law; and Ilan Wurman of the University of Minnesota Law School analyze the legal challenges surrounding birthright citizenship, explore the constitutional and historical arguments on all sides of this debate, and discuss its broader implications for immigration. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources * Trump v. CASA, Inc. [https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24a884.html], United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (2025) * Trump v. Washington [https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24a885.html], United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (2025) * Trump v. New Jersey, United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (2025) [https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24a886.html] * Amanda Frost,  [https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24a886.html]You Are Not American: Citizenship Stripping from Dred Scott to the Dreamers [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/659477/you-are-not-american-by-amanda-frost/] (2021) * Amanda Frost, “The Coming Assault on Birthright Citizenship [https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/01/birthright-citizenship-trump/681219/],” The Atlantic (Jan. 7, 2025) * Ilan Wurman and Randy Barnett, “Trump Might Have a Case on Birthright Citizenship [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/15/opinion/trump-birthright-citizenship.html],” The New York Times (Feb. 15, 2025) * Ilan Wurman, “Jurisdiction and Citizenship [https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5216249],” Minnesota Legal Studies Research Paper No. 25-27 (April 14, 2025) * Gabriel “Jack” Chin and Paul Finkelman, “Birthright Citizenship, Slave Trade Legislation, and the Origins of Federal Immigration Regulation [https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3822658],” UC Davis Law Review, Vol. 54 (April 8, 2021) * Gabriel J. Chin, “America Has Freaked Out Over Birthright Citizenship For Centuries [https://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/brief-history-of-birthright-citizenship-freakouts],” Talking Points Memo (Aug. 2015) * Kurt Lash, “Prima Facie Citizenship: Birth, Allegiance and the Fourteenth Amendment's Citizenship Clause [https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5140319],” SSRN (Feb. 22, 2025) * Kurt Lash, The Fourteenth Amendment and the Privileges and Immunities of American Citizenship [https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/fourteenth-amendment-and-the-privileges-and-immunities-of-american-citizenship/A4B520184FB9C2DAE3B74087C18CD6D2] (2014) Stay Connected and Learn More * Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠ [podcast@constitutioncenter.org] * Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr. * ⁠Sign up⁠ [http://bit.ly/constitutionweekly] to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate. * Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen. * Join us for an upcoming ⁠live program⁠ [https://constitutioncenter.org/news-debate/americas-town-hall-programs] or watch recordings on ⁠YouTube⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoAU4X6DUZSt5n6aI74Hw0A]. * Support our important work. ⁠Donate [https://14948p.blackbaudhosting.com/14948p/General-Operating?_gl=1*1thklpf*_ga*MTc4MDkwODQzMi4xNjkyMTE0ODMz*_ga_0H9LQSTDVE*MTcxMjkyNzE4OS4yNDYuMS4xNzEyOTQyNjMyLjYwLjAuMA..]

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, historians Rick Atkinson, author of The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777; Mary Beth Norton, author of 1774: The Long Year of Revolution; and Rosemarie Zagarri, author of Revolutionary Backlash: Women and Politics in the Early American Republic, explore the events leading to the first shots of the American Revolution, the battles themselves, and the colonists’ response to this pivotal moment in history. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. RESOURCES * Rick Atkinson, The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781627790437/thebritisharecoming/], (2019) * Rick Atkinson, The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780 [https://rickatkinson.com/], (2025) * Mary Beth Norton, 1774: The Long Year of Revolution [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/239495/1774-by-mary-beth-norton/], (2020) * Mary Beth Norton, Liberty’s daughters: The Revolutionary experience of American women, 1750-1800 [https://www.amazon.com/Libertys-daughters-Revolutionary-experience-1750-1800/dp/0316612510?ref_=ast_author_dp_rw&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BmdR61tNxsEBwyYPJo4mkTcZrOPdDZyvTh4r9ov75CxuFgNbg_Jd7WZMd50urxOECVf08-YBnRHiULKYSglnC_i22VXL-pmxMggvSDi2Usl9Cvwdp0KAN9afmcCuccEeX6b0nyJF8fwjPW5GCyJG-1fTYRX5cRNbz_kpSoSWhBfYJ-7ZH05B55H7KoMcKXDxsh9xnCAPLXz4ucR-JaDf0XDoZMZ6m0gwxB-OtAv-R2k.lV9RR091ePX_e5SBqiVOnl8n5a5uzMBvgVWeLiAfX6A&dib_tag=AUTHOR], (1980) * Rosemarie Zagarri, Revolutionary Backlash: Women and Politics in the Early American Republic [https://www.pennpress.org/9780812220735/revolutionary-backlash/], (2008) * Rosemarie Zagarri, A Woman’s Dilemma: Mercy Otis Warren and the American Revolution [https://www.wiley.com/en-ie/A+Woman's+Dilemma%3A+Mercy+Otis+Warren+and+the+American+Revolution%2C+2nd+Edition-p-9781118774816] (2nd ed. 2014) * Townshend Act [https://www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/townshend-act] (1767) * The Tea Act and the Boston Tea Party [https://www.jyfmuseums.org/learn/research-and-collections/essays/the-tea-act-and-the-boston-tea-party] (Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation) * The Intolerable Acts [https://www.jyfmuseums.org/learn/research-and-collections/essays/what-were-the-intolerable-acts] (Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation) * Joseph Warren, “Our Country Is In Danger but Not To Be Despaired Of [http://www.drjosephwarren.com/2015/03/warren%E2%80%99s-1775-boston-massacre-oration-in-full-text-our-country-is-in-danger-but-not-to-be-despaired-of/],” (March 6, 1775) STAY CONNECTED AND LEARN MORE * Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org [podcast@constitutioncenter.org] * Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr. * Sign up [http://bit.ly/constitutionweekly] to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate. * Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen. * Join us for an upcoming live program [https://constitutioncenter.org/news-debate/americas-town-hall-programs] or watch recordings on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoAU4X6DUZSt5n6aI74Hw0A]. * Support our important work. Donate [https://14948p.blackbaudhosting.com/14948p/General-Operating?_gl=1*1thklpf*_ga*MTc4MDkwODQzMi4xNjkyMTE0ODMz*_ga_0H9LQSTDVE*MTcxMjkyNzE4OS4yNDYuMS4xNzEyOTQyNjMyLjYwLjAuMA..]

In this episode, Brian Kalt of Michigan State College of Law and Jeffrey Toobin, author of The Pardon: The Politics of Presidential Mercy, explore the founders’ vision for the pardon power and the use of the presidential pardon throughout American history—from Thomas Jefferson’s pardons to those issued by Presidents Biden and Trump. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. RESOURCES * Jeffrey Toobin, The Pardon: The Politics of Presidential Mercy [https://www.amazon.com/Pardon-Politics-Presidential-Mercy/dp/1668125765] (2025) * Brian Kalt, Constitutional Cliffhangers [https://www.amazon.com/Constitutional-Cliffhangers-Legal-Presidents-Enemies/dp/0300123515] (2012) * Nixon Pardon [https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/digital-research-room/library-collections/topic-guides/nixon-pardon] (Gerald Ford Presidential Library) * Trump v. United States [https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-939_e2pg.pdf] (2024) * Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist No. 74 [https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed74.asp], New York Packet (March 28, 1788) * Abraham Lincoln, “Proclamation 124—Offering Pardon to Deserters [https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/proclamation-124-offering-pardon-deserters]” (March 11, 1865) * United States v. Klein [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Klein] (1871) * Ex parte Garland [https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/usrep/usrep071/usrep071333/usrep071333.pdf] (1866) * Andrew Glass, “Bush pardons Iran-Contra felons, Dec. 24, 1992 [https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/24/bush-pardons-iran-contra-felons-dec-24-1992-1072042],” Politico (Dec. 24, 2018) * Presidential Records Act [https://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries/laws/1978-act.html] * Donald Trump, “Granting Pardons and Commutation of Sentences for Certain Offenses Relating to the Events at or Near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021 [https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/granting-pardons-and-commutation-of-sentences-for-certain-offenses-relating-to-the-events-at-or-near-the-united-states-capitol-on-january-6-2021/],” (Jan. 20. 2025) * Jimmy Carter, “Proclamation 4483—Granting pardon for violations of the Selective Service Act, August 4, 1964, to March 28, 1973 [https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/proclamations/04483.html],” (Jan. 21, 1973) * Pardons granted by President Barack Obama [https://www.justice.gov/pardon/pardons-granted-president-barack-h-obama-2009-2017] * Pardons granted by President Joe Biden [https://www.justice.gov/pardon/pardons-granted-president-joseph-biden-2021-present] * Pardons granted by President Bill Clinton [https://www.justice.gov/pardon/pardons-granted-president-william-j-clinton-1993-2001] * Pardons granted by President Donald Trump [https://www.justice.gov/pardon/pardons-granted-president-donald-j-trump-2017-2021] STAY CONNECTED AND LEARN MORE * Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org [podcast@constitutioncenter.org] * Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr. * Sign up [http://bit.ly/constitutionweekly] to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate. * Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen. * Join us for an upcoming live program [https://constitutioncenter.org/news-debate/americas-town-hall-programs] or watch recordings on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoAU4X6DUZSt5n6aI74Hw0A]. * Support our important work. Donate [https://14948p.blackbaudhosting.com/14948p/General-Operating?_gl=1*1thklpf*_ga*MTc4MDkwODQzMi4xNjkyMTE0ODMz*_ga_0H9LQSTDVE*MTcxMjkyNzE4OS4yNDYuMS4xNzEyOTQyNjMyLjYwLjAuMA..]

Best-selling author Michael Lewis discusses his new book, Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service. As Americans’ distrust in the government continues to grow, Lewis’ book examines how the government works, who works for it, and why their contributions continue to matter. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.  RESOURCES * Michael Lewis, ed., Who Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service [https://www.michaellewiswrites.com/#who-is-government] (2025) * Michael Lewis, “The free‑living bureaucrat [https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2025/michael-lewis-fda-who-is-government/],” The Washington Post (March 2025) * Michael Lewis, “Directions to a journalistic gold mine [https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2024/michael-lewis-conclusion-who-is-government/],” The Washington Post (Nov. 2024) * Michael Lewis, The Premonition: A Pandemic Story [https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393881554/about-the-book/product-details] (2022) * Michael Lewis, The Fifth Risk  [https://www.michaellewiswrites.com/#the-fifth-risk](2018) * CURE ID [https://cure.ncats.io/home?itid=lk_inline_enhanced-template] STAY CONNECTED AND LEARN MORE * Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org [podcast@constitutioncenter.org] * Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr. * Sign up [http://bit.ly/constitutionweekly] to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate. * Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen. * Join us for an upcoming live program [https://constitutioncenter.org/news-debate/americas-town-hall-programs] or watch recordings on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoAU4X6DUZSt5n6aI74Hw0A]. * Support our important work. Donate [https://14948p.blackbaudhosting.com/14948p/General-Operating?_gl=1*1thklpf*_ga*MTc4MDkwODQzMi4xNjkyMTE0ODMz*_ga_0H9LQSTDVE*MTcxMjkyNzE4OS4yNDYuMS4xNzEyOTQyNjMyLjYwLjAuMA..]

CNN Anchor and Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash joins for a discussion of her book, America’s Deadliest Election: The Cautionary Tale of the Most Violent Election in American History, which explores the little-known story of election violence in 1872 Louisiana, which nearly pushed American democracy to its breaking point, and what we can learn from it today. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. RESOURCES * Dana Bash & David Fisher, America's Deadliest Election: The Shocking True Story of the Election that Changed American History―Uncover the Roots of America's Political Divide [https://www.harpercollins.com/products/americas-deadliest-election-dana-bash?variant=41500214755362] (2024) * Colfax Massacre Reports, Teaching American History [https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/colfax-massacre-reports/] * The Slaughter-House Cases [https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/supreme-court-case-library/slaughter-house-casesbutchers-benevolent-assn-of-new-orleans-v-crescent-city-livestock-landing-slaughter-house-co] (1873) * United States v. Cruikshank [https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/92/542/] (1875) STAY CONNECTED AND LEARN MORE * Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org [podcast@constitutioncenter.org] * Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr. * Sign up [http://bit.ly/constitutionweekly] to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate. * Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen. * Join us for an upcoming live program [https://constitutioncenter.org/news-debate/americas-town-hall-programs] or watch recordings on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoAU4X6DUZSt5n6aI74Hw0A]. * Support our important work. Donate [https://14948p.blackbaudhosting.com/14948p/General-Operating?_gl=1*1thklpf*_ga*MTc4MDkwODQzMi4xNjkyMTE0ODMz*_ga_0H9LQSTDVE*MTcxMjkyNzE4OS4yNDYuMS4xNzEyOTQyNjMyLjYwLjAuMA..]