Trump promised to end US birthright citizenship, but made false claim

US President-elect Donald Trump promised to end birthright citizenship in the United States and even pardon those convicted in the 2021 Capitol Hill riots in Washington DC. Trump was speaking during NBC's Meet the Press with Kristen Walker, his first broadcast network interview since his election as the US president-elect who is set to succeed current US President Joe Biden.

Currently, the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution guarantees citizenship to anyone born in the US, regardless of their parents' immigration status.

“We have to change this,” Trump said.

He added, “We'll probably have to go back to the people. But we've got to get this over with.”

However, he appeared to be making a false claim by saying that America is the only country where such citizenship is possible.

A New York Times report said 34 other countries have offered such citizenship.

Notably, Trump appeared to soften his stance a bit when he said he was willing to work with Democratic Party lawmakers to protect 'Dreamers', a term often used for immigrants who are not allowed to enter the US. They were brought there when they were children.

“We have to do something about the Dreamers because these are people who were brought here at a very young age,” he said. “And many of these people are now middle-aged. They don't even speak the language of their country. And yes, we're going to do something about the Dreamers.”

Apology for Capitol Hill rioters

During the interview, Trump also said that he would pardon his supporters who were convicted for their role in the riots on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021. He said he was going to take action 'very quickly'.

When asked whether he would forgive everyone, he indicated that there could be exceptions.

“There may have been some exceptions, who were radicals, who were crazy.” Defending those who attacked law enforcement officers during the riot, Trump said, “Because they had no choice.”

He further claimed that the rioters who were in jail were being kept in “a filthy, disgusting place that should not even be allowed in the open.”