Trump Demands DoJ Include Citizenship Census Question Judge Shot Down

By Susie Madrak — July 3, 2019

Looks like the horse's ass is wagging his tail and the DoJ is running to keep up with his last-minute demands in the case of the census citzenship question:

SOURCE: The DOJ reversed course to Judge Hazel, told them that they've been "ordered" to try to get the citizenship question back on the census, and that no final decision has been made yet, but their "current plan" is to go directly to SCOTUS to bless whatever they decide.

— Mike Sacks (@MikeSacksEsq) July 3, 2019

From what I understand, John Roberts is not at all eager to hear this case before the presidential election, so Trump may be assuming SCOTUS is more receptive than it is.

Today, the plaintiffs in the case requested a status hearing with the judge who heard the census case over Trump's new statement that contradicts what his own administration was saying:

Update: Plaintiffs in the NY census citizenship Q case have asked the judge to immediately schedule a status conference to find out what the heck is going on re: Trump's tweet today https://t.co/JpcZBFgQUn pic.twitter.com/DFivufAwGP

— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) July 3, 2019

I had a feeling our celebration was premature on this one. He is not going to give up on this:
Trump tweeted reports his administration is stopping its effort to include a citizenship question in the 2020 census are “FAKE.” https://t.co/5oqHYyZ0Hc

— Amy Siskind 🏳️‍🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) July 3, 2019

The News Reports about the Department of Commerce dropping its quest to put the Citizenship Question on the Census is incorrect or, to state it differently, FAKE! We are absolutely moving forward, as we must, because of the importance of the answer to this question.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2019

Fact check on Trump's census tweet:

Email y'day from DOJ trial attorney Kate Bailey: "We can confirm that the decision has been made to print the 2020 Decennial Census questionnaire without a citizenship question, and that the printer has been instructed to begin the printing."

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 3, 2019

President Trump said he would move forward with plans to add a citizenship question to the census, contradicting statements by his Justice and Commerce Departments that the forms were being printed without the question in compliance a Supreme Court ruling https://t.co/KFceZRvPdw

— NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) July 3, 2019

BREAKING: Trump denies administration has dropped push to add citizenship question to census, a day after the DOJ said the White House had abandoned the effort pic.twitter.com/Gr78xB75yi

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) July 3, 2019

My latest: A quarter million test surveys are being sent to homes with the citizenship question; the Census Bureau is understaffed and underfunded -- Here are ways Trump is still causing an undercount of minority communities on 2020 Census @thinkprogress https://t.co/ArckqGGJR0

— Danielle McLean (@DanielleBMcLean) July 3, 2019

And here is what DOJ told lawyers for the challengers yesterday: "We can confirm that the decision has been made to print the 2020 Decennial Census questionnaire without a citizenship question" https://t.co/3di9iwnSph pic.twitter.com/YJlbQQ1i4R

— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) July 3, 2019

Federal judge in MD gives Trump admin until Friday at 2 to agree to written stipulation that they're dropping citizenship question from 2020 census. If they decline, court will reopen case to see if admin added question to intentionally discriminate against Hispanics

— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) July 3, 2019

New: In call with Maryland judge Department of Justice reversed position there will be no citizenship question on 2020 census and said “they have been instructed to see whether there is a path forward” to reviving question & will appeal to SCOTUS if so https://t.co/GiIqnrj5ck pic.twitter.com/YgdNvd70cH

— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) July 3, 2019

OK, so it was my option #1, it seems like: some nonsense the President said on the spur of the moment and isn't actually what the Government of the United States id doing. https://t.co/9ck39gn8mC

— Raffi Melkonian (@RMFifthCircuit) July 3, 2019

Even if it's not on the census, you can bet he'll insist it's there so he can intimidate people from filling it out.