In a nationally televised interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” President Donald Trump expressed uncertainty over whether he is required to uphold the U.S. Constitution as president. The remarks, made during a wide-ranging conversation with host Kristen Welker, have drawn sharp criticism.
When asked directly by NBC’s Kristen Welker whether, as president, he is required to uphold the U.S. Constitution, Donald Trump repeatedly expressed uncertainty. The key exchange went as follows:
KRISTEN WELKER:
Your secretary of state says everyone who’s here, citizens and non-citizens, deserve due process. Do you agree, Mr. President?
PRES. DONALD TRUMP:
I don’t know. I’m not, I’m not a lawyer. I don’t know.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Well, the Fifth Amendment says as much.
PRES. DONALD TRUMP:
I don’t know. It seems — it might say that, but if you’re talking about that, then we’d have to have a million or 2 million or 3 million trials. We have thousands of people that are some murderers and some drug dealers and some of the worst people on Earth.
KRISTEN WELKER:
But is —
PRES. DONALD TRUMP:
Some of the worst, most dangerous people on Earth. And I was elected to get them the hell out of here and the courts are holding me from doing it.
KRISTEN WELKER:
But even given those numbers that you’re talking about, don’t you need to uphold the Constitution of the United States as president?
PRES. DONALD TRUMP:
I don’t know. I have to respond by saying, again, I have brilliant lawyers that work for me, and they are going to obviously follow what the Supreme Court said. What you said is not what I heard the Supreme Court said. They have a different interpretation.
Trump’s comments came amid a discussion about his administration’s aggressive deportation policies and the Supreme Court’s recent order mandating the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador without a trial.
He continued to defend his administration’s efforts to deport undocumented immigrants swiftly, labeling many as “murderers and drug traffickers,” and lamented that the courts were obstructing his mandate to remove them.
The U.S. Constitution explicitly requires the president to uphold the Constitution through the presidential oath of office. Article II, Section 1, Clause 8 states:
Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:- “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
This oath is the only one specified verbatim in the Constitution and must be taken before the president can exercise any official powers or duties. The language of the oath makes clear that the president is constitutionally bound to “preserve, protect and defend” the Constitution to the best of their ability.
The White House has not issued a formal clarification of the president’s remarks as of Sunday evening.
The interview comes just over 100 days into Trump’s second term, a period marked by efforts to expand executive authority on immigration and national security. The president’s comments have intensified ongoing debates about the rule of law and the scope of presidential power in the United States.
The statement comes just days after Trump granted ABC News’ Terry Moran his first televised interview since his second inauguration. The conversation took place in the Oval Office, where Trump guided Moran through the historic workspace and paused to highlight a copy of the Declaration of Independence.
Moran asked “what does it (the Constitution) mean to you?”
Trump replied, “Well it means exactly what it says, it’s a declaration, it’s a declaration of unity and love and respect and it means a lot and its something very special to our country.”
