Aaron Retica

Okay, well, that seems like a good place for us to wrap it up. Ezra, thanks a lot for coming out.

Oh, thank you very much. Great to be here. So where do you want to start? Let's start with the big question. I mean, there's a million things to talk about. But let's start with, we have a better idea today, 24 hours into the second Trump administration, what they mean by making America great again. So what's great? What are they trying to achieve?

Oh, thank you very much. Great to be here. So where do you want to start? Let's start with the big question. I mean, there's a million things to talk about. But let's start with, we have a better idea today, 24 hours into the second Trump administration, what they mean by making America great again. So what's great? What are they trying to achieve?

You said proposed, but of course, that's the crazy part, right? It is an executive order. It's proposed in the sense that they know it's going to be fought.

You said proposed, but of course, that's the crazy part, right? It is an executive order. It's proposed in the sense that they know it's going to be fought.

They would say that drill, baby, drill and what they're going to do with gas and energy is one of the things that's going to affect prices in a way that will make people happy, right? That would be their argument, presumably.

They would say that drill, baby, drill and what they're going to do with gas and energy is one of the things that's going to affect prices in a way that will make people happy, right? That would be their argument, presumably.

Okay, so let's take these things one at a time and let's stay with birthright citizenship because this is, even though we knew it was coming, even though they told us it was coming, it's still worth stopping and just... talking directly about what this is, right?

Okay, so let's take these things one at a time and let's stay with birthright citizenship because this is, even though we knew it was coming, even though they told us it was coming, it's still worth stopping and just... talking directly about what this is, right?

So they're talking about the most obvious thing, which is the children of undocumented immigrants would not automatically be American citizens, but they are also talking about, and you referred to it, what some people are calling the Kamala Harris clause, which is that if you're a student here, a graduate student, a medical student, whatever, and you have a child here right now, that child is automatically an American citizen.

So they're talking about the most obvious thing, which is the children of undocumented immigrants would not automatically be American citizens, but they are also talking about, and you referred to it, what some people are calling the Kamala Harris clause, which is that if you're a student here, a graduate student, a medical student, whatever, and you have a child here right now, that child is automatically an American citizen.

That's out in their executive order. I'm really struck by the way you said proposed as though it were legislation. They know there's going to be this battle. Do they intend to actually end? I mean, they intend to end birthright citizenship, but do you think that they think they can? Or is this like the new Roe?

That's out in their executive order. I'm really struck by the way you said proposed as though it were legislation. They know there's going to be this battle. Do they intend to actually end? I mean, they intend to end birthright citizenship, but do you think that they think they can? Or is this like the new Roe?

Like, is this something that they're going to always have on the edge of expectation that actually can't be done, that they can motivate their base?

Like, is this something that they're going to always have on the edge of expectation that actually can't be done, that they can motivate their base?

I know Roe did get done, right?

I know Roe did get done, right?

Right. So the case you were referring to, Wong Kim Ark, from 1898, if I'm remembering correctly. I won't go into the details of the case, but the gist of it is, guy was born in San Francisco, went to visit his parents in China, tried to come back to the U.S., was blocked, eventually was granted the right to stay here because he was a citizen. The court that decided that...

Right. So the case you were referring to, Wong Kim Ark, from 1898, if I'm remembering correctly. I won't go into the details of the case, but the gist of it is, guy was born in San Francisco, went to visit his parents in China, tried to come back to the U.S., was blocked, eventually was granted the right to stay here because he was a citizen. The court that decided that...

was also more or less the court that decided Plessy v. Ferguson. This is not like some kind of Warren liberal court, right? So even if they imagine that they have some sort of capture of the Supreme Court, which they do, it is a little hard to imagine them doing that. But again, we don't know, right? And as you say, that maybe they're just – maybe it's all horse drag. Everything's a deal, right?