Trump Loses One, Conservatives Win One at Supreme Court | 7/1/26 FIRST LOOK

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0:33Hey everybody, I'm Dave Rubin and this is First Look. It's Wednesday, July 1st, 2026. We've got a packed show for you today. The Supreme Court delivers a major blow to President Trump's effort to end birthright citizenship for children born to illegal immigrants and temporary visa holders. The Supreme Court hands conservatives a major victory by upholding state laws protecting women's sports based on biological sex. Tourists are paying hundreds of dollars to spend nights on what many are calling the world's most dangerous hotel, an abandoned steel tower sitting miles out in the Atlantic Ocean.

1:14Let's dive in. We start in Washington, where the Supreme Court has dealt President Trump one of the biggest legal setbacks of his second term. In a closely divided 5 to 4 decision, the court struck down Trump's executive order that sought to deny automatic birthright citizenship to children born in the United States to illegal immigrants and many temporary visa holders. The issue has been one of Trump's signature immigration priorities for years. On his very first day back in office, Trump signed an executive order arguing that children born to parents who are in the country illegally or only temporarily, should not automatically become American citizens.

1:58The administration argued that the 14th Amendment had been interpreted too broadly for more than a century. But the Supreme Court disagreed. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said the Constitution's citizenship clause makes no distinction based on whether a child's parents are here legally. Roberts wrote, words appearing frequently in the executive order, mother, father, lawful, temporary, are absent from the clause, for a simple reason, they did not matter. Roberts was joined by fellow conservative justice Amy Coney Barrett and the court's three liberal justices. The ruling means any change to birthright citizenship would likely require a constitutional amendment or new legislation from Congress, not executive action.

2:49The dissent was just as forceful. Justice Samuel Alito argued the court had fundamentally misunderstood the 14th Amendment. He wrote that citizenship should apply only to children who owe allegiance solely to the United States. Alito called the decision one of the most important decisions in the history of the court and added the court has made a serious mistake. Justice Clarence Thomas also issued a blistering dissent. He argued today's ruling creates constitutional protections that the authors of the 14th Amendment never intended. Thomas warned that the decision preserves a powerful incentive to enter or remain in this country illegally.

3:33According to estimates from the Migration Policy Institute, more than 250 ,000 babies born in the United States every year would have been affected by Trump's executive order. Much of the legal debate centered on the landmark 1898 Wang Kim Ark decision, in which the Supreme Court ruled that a man born in the United States to Chinese immigrant parents was an American citizen. The Trump administration argued that case involved parents who were legally residing in the country, not illegal immigrants. But Roberts rejected that distinction, saying the historical record offered no evidence that the 14th Amendment imposed any legal residency requirement.

4:18The challenge itself was brought by three families, a Honduran asylum applicant, a Taiwanese student whose daughter was born while she was studying in America, and a Brazilian man seeking permanent residency whose son was born in the United States. All argued the executive order unlawfully stripped their children of citizenship and access to government benefits. For now, birthright citizenship remains unchanged. changed. Politically, however, the debate is almost certainly far from over. Now to another Supreme Court ruling, one that conservatives are celebrating as a landmark victory for women's athletics.

4:57In a 6-3 decision, the court ruled that states may legally restrict girls' and women's sports to biological females. The decision resolves two closely watched cases, West Virginia v. BPJ and Little v. Hecox. Both involved transgender athletes challenging state laws that required participation based on biological sex rather than gender identity. The court ultimately sided with Idaho and West Virginia. Writing for the majority, the justices held that states may determine athletic eligibility based on biological sex, while remaining consistent with both Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause. laws.

5:38The ruling effectively upholds laws already passed in 27 states. Protecting girls and women's sports. West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey called the decision a monumental victory for every female athlete. He argued the ruling preserves decades of progress made under Title IX and protects fair competition for future generations. Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador echoed that sentiment. He noted Idaho became the first state in the nation to pass a women's sports protection law, and said today's decision validates years of legal battles defending it. Education Secretary Linda McMahon also praised the ruling.

6:20She said today's ruling affirms the common sense right of states to prohibit men from competing in women's sports. McMahon accused previous administrations of distorting Title IX to advance what she called a radical transgender agenda. The legal battle itself featured some unusual moments. During oral arguments, attorneys representing the transgender athletes struggled under questioning from the justices. At one point, ACLU attorney Joshua Block urged the court not to define the word sex. Chief Justice John Roberts pushed back, saying the term had to mean something. Eventually, Block conceded that, for purposes of this case, biological sex could be used.

7:04Following the hearing, reporters asked Block how he personally defined sex. He declined to answer and walked away. The Idaho case also featured controversy over plaintiff Lindsay Hecox's graduation timeline. Her attorneys previously argued the case might become moot because she expected to graduate, but during oral arguments, they acknowledged graduation was now unlikely. Idaho officials said university records had already shown that earlier claim was inaccurate. While supporters of the ruling held it as common sense, the court's three liberal justices dissented. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote separately, joined in part by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

7:49But with today's decision, more than half the country can now enforce biological sex protections in athletics without fear those laws will immediately be struck down. 23 states, including California, New York, and Massachusetts, still allow transgender athletes to compete according to gender identity. So while today's ruling settles one constitutional question, the broader political debate is certain to continue. And finally, if you're looking for a relaxing beach vacation, this probably isn't it. A remote steel tower sitting 34 miles off the coast of North Carolina has gone viral after millions watched tourists voluntarily spend days stranded in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

8:35The structure is called Frying Pan Tower. Originally built in 1964, as a Coast Guard light station, it now operates as one of America's most unusual hotels. Guests are transported by boat before being lifted nearly 80 feet into the air on a mechanical hoist to reach the main platform. Below them, waters known to contain Great White Sharks, Bull Sharks, and Tiger Sharks. The tower also sits in an area historically known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, an area famous for shipwrecks and powerful storms. The structure lies directly in Hurricane Alley, where tropical systems can batter it with winds exceeding 100 miles per hour.

9:22If someone suffers a medical emergency, help is anything but immediate. Rescue requires either a helicopter or roughly a 35-mile boat ride back to shore. Despite all of that, people keep booking it. Stays cost about$200 per person per night with a three-night minimum. The tower can accommodate up to 12 guests across eight bedrooms. And surprisingly, the amenities are fairly impressive. Visitors have access to hot showers, high-speed internet powered by solar panels, a commercial kitchen, laundry facilities, fresh water produced through reverse osmosis filtration, activities include fishing, snorkeling over protected reefs, skeet shooting, even hitting biodegradable golf balls into the ocean.

10:13One charter captain who ferries guests to the tower posted a viral TikTok showing six tourists being dropped off. The video has already received more than two million views. One viewer joked, that's literally a line out of a horror movie. Another wrote, you couldn't pay me enough. Others saw advantages. One commenter joked, the zombies can't get you way out there, to which the captain replied, zombie free. The property has actually welcomed overnight guests since 2012 and is maintained largely by volunteers dedicated to preserving the historic structure. For thrill seekers, it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

10:55For everyone else, it probably belongs on the opposite of a bucket list. And that's your first look this Wednesday. Quick recap. The Supreme Court rejected President Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship, ruling that any major change would require Congress or a constitutional amendment. The court also delivered a major conservative victory by allowing states to preserve girls' and women's sports based on biological sex. And if your dream vacation involves sharks, hurricanes, and being stranded 34 miles offshore, there's now a hotel just for you. We'll keep following all of it. I'm Dave Rubin.

11:35Thanks for starting your day with First Look. See you tomorrow.