Busted! Trump Says Citizenship Question Necessary for Drawing Congressional Districts – Experts Say He Just Showed His Hand - The New Civil Rights Movement

President Donald Trump, who is literally on the verge of ignoring a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to not include a citizenship question on the Census, on Friday told reporters the "number one" reason he wants to add the question is for the drawing of congressional districts.

Experts say he just showed his hand – or, as some said, "gave up the game."

If President Trump is trying to include a citizenship question for the drawing of congressional districts, he might be surprised to know that the U.S. Constitution makes clear the Census must count everyone living in the United States – not just citizens. And congressional districts are to be based on the number of people living in an area – not just the number of U.S. citizens.

"If you look at the history of our country, it's almost always been asked," Trump said Friday of the citizenship question on the decennial census.

That's false. It has been asked on small, annual updates, but for many decades not on the constitutionally-mandated Census.

"We're fighting very hard against the system," Trump said, telegraphing to his base that considers him an outsider fighting for white conservatives.

"You need it for many reasons, number one for Congress, for districting," Trump said, which is entirely false – unless his goal is to undercount minorities and non-citizen immigrants.

Watch (begins at the 14:10 mark):

WATCH: Pres. Trump comments about battle over census and more before departing for Bedminster, NJ. https://t.co/V2rtKCMNfP

— ABC News (@ABC) July 5, 2019

Here's what experts are saying:

U.S. Supreme Court reporter for Reuters:

Trump on Friday said the "number one" reason for adding a citizenship question was for the drawing of electoral districts, which is what those challenging the move have said all along

— Lawrence Hurley (@lawrencehurley) July 5, 2019

Chief White House Correspondent for The New York Times and MSNBC analyst:

Trump says citizenship has to be asked on the census to determine congressional districts. Actually, districts are drawn up based on total population, not the number of citizens, a practice upheld by the Supreme Court as recently as 2016.

— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) July 5, 2019

U.S. Congressman:

Pleased @realDonaldTrump has made it even harder now to include the citizenship question on #Census2020. Drawing congressional districts based on "citizens," rather than "persons," is unconstitutional. Trump has now stated the real reason, and that reason is unconstitutional. https://t.co/oaWLH0yO1o

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) July 5, 2019

Senior political reporter for The Washington Post:

Trump gives away the game here.

Opponents' argument is that GOP will use the new citizenship Q to draw districts using that data -- a potential big boon to GOP. https://t.co/MrL0PfbIXo

— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) July 5, 2019

ThinkProgress and Popular Information founder:

This really gives up the game.

Redrawing Congressional maps based on citizenship only was exactly why Thomas Hofeller, a political operative and expert in diluting minority voting rights, wanted the Q added https://t.co/97847BzuKK https://t.co/MBMaEnOyX9

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) July 5, 2019

Senator Dianne Feinstein's press secretary:

Giving away the entire game. He wants to draw congressional districts based on citizen population and guarantee the Republicans a House majority. https://t.co/Yld4eozy7O

— Ashley Schapitl (@AshleySchapitl) July 5, 2019

Senior campaigns and elections editor, chief polling analyst for Politico:

Drawing voting districts based on citizen (not resident) counts was, according to published reports, what the late GOP mapmaker Tom Hofeller wrote “would be advantageous” for whites and Republicans. https://t.co/qmHtL6BCED

— Steven Shepard (@POLITICO_Steve) July 5, 2019

UPDATE I: 1:15 PM ET –

MSNBC's Pete Williams just said on-air, "I think the President's giving it away," meaning, he just showed his hand during his remarks today.

UPDATE II: 1:37 PM ET –

Former Obama WH lawyer:

Trump's statement that they want the citizenship question for use in redistricting is awkward given that the Solicitor General told the Supreme Court the exact opposite a few weeks ago -- the SG specifically said that was not their motive. pic.twitter.com/yv7UZquyeQ

— Daniel Jacobson (@Dan_F_Jacobson) July 5, 2019

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