Lindsey Graham backs Trump ending birthright citizenship

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) tweeted his praise Tuesday of President Trump's plan to end birthright citizenship via an executive order, which Trump revealed during an exclusive interview with "Axios on HBO."

"Finally, a president willing to take on this absurd policy of birthright citizenship. I’ve always supported comprehensive immigration reform — and at the same time — the elimination of birthright citizenship. The United States is one of two developed countries in the world who grant citizenship based on location of birth. This policy is a magnet for illegal immigration, out of the mainstream of the developed world, and needs to come to an end. In addition, I plan to introduce legislation along the same lines as the proposed executive order from President Trump."

The big picture: Graham was a member of the Gang of Eight, a bipartisan moderate group of senators that introduced a comprehensive immigration reform bill in 2013. In 2010, however, Graham said he was considering introducing a constitutional amendment to end birthright citizenship, per Politico.

Go deeper:

• Experts weigh in on Trump's ability to end birthright citizenship
• Reality check: The U.S. is far from the only country with birthright citizenship