Quote · The Bulwark Podcast
David French: The Birthright Citizenship Ruling Should've Been 9-0
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Mamdani, the Constitution, and Who Should Be Eligible for the Presidency
At 45:20 · chapter starts 44:00
The Mamdani clip arrives as a kind of palate cleanser after the legal heavy lifting. Asked on This Week whether the natural-born citizen requirement should be amended so he could run for president, Mamdani simply says the Constitution looks good as it is — no hedging, no hint of self-interest. [1] — David French "Zohran Mamdani said the Constitution looks fine as-is when asked whether the natural-born citizen requirement should change for his benefit…" 43:50 Miller's point is modest but pointed: contrast this with Trump's years of winking at birthers and suggesting the rules might be reinterpretable. The minimum standard of 'won't change the Constitution to benefit yourself' is apparently not cleared by everyone. French, however, genuinely disagrees with Mamdani's conclusion — he thinks any U.S. citizen, naturalized or natural-born, should be equally eligible to be president, that we're all equally citizens. He even taught a class called 'Five Constitutional Amendments to Save America' and notes this isn't on his urgent list, but he'd support it. Miller jokes that this clip will be weaponized by MAGA social media to claim French is trying to help Zohran become president.
Graham Platner leads Susan Collins 49-47 in Maine but is losing white non-college voters 59-36. David French argues the DSA's logic — that a man with a Nazi tattoo and a history of sexting represents authentic working-class values — is deeply condescending. Working-class values used to mean a man's word is his bond, not overlooking character failures.
A Siena/NYT poll shows Graham Platner losing white non-college voters 59-36 in Maine, despite leading Susan Collins 49-47 overall.
