Fact check: Have there been any instances in US history where a president attempted to revoke a citizen's citizenship?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, there are documented instances of presidential attempts to revoke citizenship, though these efforts primarily target naturalized citizens rather than natural-born citizens.

Current Trump Administration Actions:

• President Trump has threatened to revoke citizenship from several individuals, including Rosie O'Donnell, Elon Musk, and Zohran Mamdani ^[1]
• The Department of Justice issued a June memo directing attorneys to prioritize denaturalization cases, representing a significant policy shift ^{[2] [3] [4]}
• The administration has actively pursued denaturalization cases, including the successful revocation of citizenship from Elliott Duke, a naturalized citizen who failed to disclose crimes during the naturalization process ^{[3] [5]}

Legal Limitations:

• Legal experts confirm that presidents cannot unilaterally revoke citizenship from US-born citizens like O'Donnell ^[1]
• Denaturalization typically requires a legal process through the courts and has historically been rare ^{[1] [2]}

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several crucial contextual elements:

Historical Precedent:

• While the analyses focus on recent Trump administration actions, they don't provide comprehensive historical examples of previous presidential attempts to revoke citizenship from earlier administrations

Legal Distinctions:

• The analyses reveal an important distinction between natural-born citizens (who have stronger constitutional protections) and naturalized citizens (who face greater vulnerability to denaturalization) ^{[1] [4]}

Policy Expansion Concerns:

• Immigration law experts have raised concerns that the current approach could lead to targeting naturalized citizens who committed minor crimes or made mistakes on citizenship applications ^[3]
• The administration's efforts extend beyond individual cases to systematic policy changes affecting birthright citizenship through executive orders ^{[6] [7] [8]}

Beneficiaries of Different Narratives:

• Immigration hardliners and enforcement advocates benefit from expanded denaturalization policies as they align with stricter immigration control agendas
• Civil rights organizations and immigration attorneys benefit from opposing these measures, as it generates support for their advocacy work and legal services

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question, while factually neutral, omits the complexity of citizenship revocation attempts:

Oversimplification:

• The question doesn't distinguish between threats to revoke citizenship (which have occurred) and successful revocations (which are much rarer and require legal processes) ^{[1] [5]}

Scope Limitation:

• By asking only about "instances," the question misses the systematic policy changes currently being implemented, including DOJ memos prioritizing denaturalization and executive orders limiting birthright citizenship ^{[2] [3] [8]}

Missing Contemporary Context:

• The question doesn't acknowledge that current denaturalization efforts represent an unprecedented expansion of such policies, with the Trump administration actively prioritizing these cases in ways that differ from historical precedent ^{[4] [3]}

The analyses demonstrate that while presidential attempts to revoke citizenship have occurred, they operate within legal constraints and primarily affect naturalized rather than natural-born citizens.