Mary Trump, the niece of president-elect Donald Trump has called him a “deeply ignorant, cruel man” after he threatened to end birth-right citizenship in the US.

Birth-right citizenship refers to the legal notion that people born in the US automatically become citizens, as defined in the 14th amendment of the country’s constitution, but Trump has called the idea ridiculous.

Speaking to Kristen Welker on NBC’s Meet The Press earlier this week, he claimed: “We’re the only country that has it.” However, a brief Google search reveals that more than 30 other countries have similar legislation.

“Can you get around the Fourteenth Amendment with executive action?” Welker asked.

“Well, we’re going to have to get it changed,” the president-elect answered. “Maybe [we] have to go back to the people.”

Talking to MSNBC, Mary Trump, a clinical psychologist, lesbian woman and fierce critic of her uncle, described the comments as “despicable” and said: “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He’s a deeply ignorant, cruel man who seems to forget that his father was a first-generation American.

“So, if it hadn’t been for birth-right citizenship, my grandfather probably wouldn’t have been allowed to stay here.

“Obviously, the immigrants Donald hates are people of colour and what he also doesn’t understand is the reason why we have the Fourteenth Amendment was because we enslaved an entire race of people, and it was to ensure that after the Civil War was over and they were freed, they were, in short, protected by citizenship being conferred upon them.”

The move was a grab for power, she added.

“I don’t think there is any mechanism by which he can make it happen but this is another instance in which we are in the unfortunate position of having to rely on Republicans to do the right thing and protect American citizens.”

The Republicans have a majority in both chambers of congress following last month’s general election, while Trump beat Democrat Kamala Harris in the race for the White House.

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