“If I have the power to do it—I’m not sure that I do, but if I do, I would denaturalize. Absolutely.”
The promise
During a November 30, 2025 exchange with reporters, Trump said he would denaturalize some people if he had the legal power to do so. The remark came during a broader discussion of immigration restrictions after the Washington, D.C. National Guard shooting. He specifically tied the idea to people who became citizens but, in his view, should not have been allowed into the country. Trump admitted uncertainty about whether he had the power, which makes the promise legally limited from the beginning. Denaturalization is possible in U.S. law, but usually only in cases involving fraud, concealment, illegal procurement of citizenship, or very narrow national-security grounds. It cannot simply be used as a general punishment for naturalized citizens in the same way deportation can be used against non-citizens. In June 2026, the administration announced an effort to revoke citizenship from 17 people accused of immigration fraud. That shows the policy direction is active, but not at the sweeping level implied by Trump’s remarks. Therefore this should remain in work, with a note that the broad version is legally constrained.
