A CNN guest became emotional on air Monday, voicing fears that President-elect Donald Trump might deport her despite being a naturalized citizen. Maria Cardona, a Democratic strategist and frequent contributor to the network, expressed concerns that her citizenship status could be challenged under a second Trump administration.
Her meltdown follows Trump’s statement to NBC News’s Kristen Welker that he is considering ways to end or modify birthright citizenship, a right enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. Supporters, including Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), have defended Trump’s position, arguing that Congress has the authority to clarify which residents fall under the amendment’s protections and which, such as illegal immigrants, may not.
“Stephen Miller, who is Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff, has said that they’re going to embark on a denaturalization program. So I could be deported, my citizenship could be taken away, and my children could be deported because they have birthright citizenship,” Cardona said, her voice rising. “So, this is not what the country voted for, let’s be very clear.”
She continued: “Americans voted for Trump because of groceries, because of lowering costs. He has not talked about that one bit. What this country did not vote for was to deport the eleven million undocumented immigrants who do critical work for our economy, who have injected seven trillion dollars into our economy. And what Americans want is a solution to immigration.” She repeated several Democratic talking points about being “willing to work” with Republicans to solve the border crisis before the host cut her off and moved on. For the record, Trump has not said he wanted to deport naturalized citizens and it’s not very likely that he could in any event.
WATCH:
Democrat Strategist Maria Cardona goes on an unhinged rant on CNN, says that Trump could deport her AND her children in his second term.
“I might be deported because I’m a naturalized citizen!” pic.twitter.com/Z3OStSFULE
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) December 9, 2024
Cardona’s on-air outburst is the latest in a series of criticisms directed at President-elect Donald Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to secure the southern border and has pursued that agenda since his Election Day victory. Trump has held private meetings with the presidents of Mexico and Canada, both of whom have pledged to enhance enforcement against illegal border crossings and curb the flow of fentanyl into the United States. Trump has repeatedly referred to the deadly synthetic opioid as a “scourge” plaguing the nation due to cartel smuggling operations, which he claims surged under the Biden-Harris administration.