The US Supreme Court wrapped up its latest term with a series of landmark decisions, handing President Donald Trump both major victories and significant setbacks on issues ranging from birthright citizenship and transgender rights to campaign finance and presidential powers.
One of the biggest blows to Trump came when the court struck down his attempt to restrict birthright citizenship. In a 6-3 ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts said Trump’s executive order conflicted with the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which guarantees citizenship to almost everyone born on American soil, except for a limited number of exceptions such as children of foreign diplomats. Trump had introduced the order as part of his immigration crackdown, arguing that children born to undocumented migrants or parents without permanent residency should not automatically receive US citizenship.
Following the decision, Trump criticised the ruling on his Truth Social platform and urged Congress to pursue legislation to end birthright citizenship. Civil rights groups welcomed the judgment, with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) describing it as a reaffirmation that no president can alter constitutional rights through executive action.
The court also ruled in favour of laws allowing states to bar transgender students from competing in girls’ and women’s sports based on biological sex. The unanimous decision found that legislation introduced in West Virginia and Idaho did not violate Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education. The conservative majority further ruled that the measures were consistent with the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause. Trump hailed the outcome as a “big win”, while critics argued the decision represented another setback for transgender rights in the United States.
In another major decision, the Supreme Court struck down federal limits on coordinated campaign spending between political parties and candidates. The 6-3 ruling concluded that the spending caps infringed upon free speech protections under the First Amendment, potentially reshaping campaign financing ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The court’s nine-month term produced a string of high-profile rulings beyond Tuesday’s decisions. Earlier this year, it blocked Trump’s proposed global tariffs, expanded presidential authority over certain federal agencies, limited key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, upheld parts of his immigration agenda, broadened gun rights and agreed to hear new legal challenges involving assault-style rifle bans during its next term beginning in October. The latest rulings underscore the court’s continuing influence over some of America’s most politically divisive issues.
