Trump Expected to Say He Won’t Pursue Citizenship Question on 2020 Census

President is expected to address next steps for obtaining that information through other means, officials said




Photo: Michelle R. Smith/Associated Press

By Rebecca Ballhaus and
Brent Kendall

Updated July 11, 2019 3:06 pm ET

WASHINGTON—President Trump is expected to announce on Thursday that he will not pursue efforts to get a citizenship question on the 2020 U.S. census, according to administration officials, after the administration spent weeks seeking a legal rationale for doing so.
In a news conference at the White House Thursday afternoon, the president is expected to address next steps for obtaining that information through other means, officials said.
The announcement would mark a concession by the president, who insisted last week, after the Commerce and Justice departments said the fight was over, that all possibilities including an executive order were still being explored. The Commerce Department began printing census forms last week.
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Earlier Thursday, an administration official said the president planned to issue an executive action regarding the citizenship question and the census. Administration officials cautioned the situation remained fluid, and several provided conflicting information earlier in the day about what the president planned to announce.
Administration lawyers advised the White House on Thursday that it wouldn’t be legally feasible to add the citizenship question to the census in the wake of last month’s Supreme Court ruling, and said time was running out to add any additional questions to the census.

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