Political Gabfest - "Subject to the Jurisdiction Thereof"

The Slate Political Gabfest episode 'Subject to the Jurisdiction Thereof' examines the Supreme Court's recent hearing on President Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants in the U.S. The hosts—David Plotz, Emily Gosling, and John Dickerson—analyze the legal, historical, and political dimensions of the case, emphasizing that the 14th Amendment’s phrase 'subject to the jurisdiction thereof' has long been interpreted to grant birthright citizenship broadly, with only narrow exceptions like diplomats and invading forces. They critique the Trump administration’s argument, which relies on a narrow reading of 'domicile' and 'allegiance,' as legally and historically unsound. The discussion highlights how Justice Alito’s originalist stance and the president’s theatrical Supreme Court appearance reflect a broader effort to expand the Overton window around controversial policies. The episode also dissects Trump’s ongoing war in Iran, questioning its strategic coherence, economic costs, and impact on global stability, while noting the administration’s failure to deliver on promised outcomes. In parallel, the hosts analyze two contrasting Senate primaries—Maine’s Democratic race between incumbent Janet Mills and progressive oyster farmer Graham Plattner, and Texas’s Republican runoff between Senator John Cornyn and corrupt MAGA favorite Ken Paxton—highlighting the tension between strategic electability and grassroots energy. Finally, the episode covers Trump’s latest executive order targeting mail-in voting, which critics see as a dangerous federal overreach undermining state election authority, and closes with reflective cocktail chatter on themes of memory, loss, and the moral weight of inherited possessions, drawing on Ursula K. Le Guin’s 'The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas'.