President Donald Trump said he wants to order the end of the constitutional right of citizenship for babies of non-citizens and unauthorized immigrants who are born in the United States.
The president's comments to "Axios on HBO" come amid a renewed push for hardline immigration policies before the midterm elections.
Revoking birthright citizenship would spark a court fight over the president's unilateral ability to change an amendment to the Constitution. The 14th Amendment guarantees that right for children born in the U.S.
Asked about the legality of such an executive order, Trump said, "They're saying I can do it just with an executive order."
Trump added: "We're the only country in the world where a person comes in and has a baby, and the baby is essentially a citizen of the United States."
An excerpt of the interview was posted on Axios' website Tuesday.
In the final days before the Nov. 6 midterms, Trump has emphasized immigration, as he seeks to counter Democratic enthusiasm.
Trump believes that his campaign pledges, including his much vaunted and still-unfulfilled promise to quickly build a U.S.-Mexico border wall, are still rallying cries for his base and that this latest focus will further erode the enthusiasm gap.
The Axios HBO series debuts Sunday.