Today's News: Trump Questions Constitutional Obligations in "Meet the Press" Interview
President Trump's remarks sparked criticism and raised legal concerns about ongoing deportation practices, including defiance of Supreme Court rulings.
Image: NBC
Overview
Date: May 4, 2025
Topic: President Trump Questions Constitutional Obligations Amid Deportation and Trade Policies
Summary: In a nationally broadcast interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” President Donald Trump expressed uncertainty about his constitutional duty to uphold due process and the Constitution itself, especially in the context of his mass deportation agenda. He repeatedly deferred to his lawyers, citing legal complexity and logistical challenges. Trump's remarks sparked criticism and raised legal concerns about ongoing deportation practices, including defiance of Supreme Court rulings. The interview also touched on economic issues, including the impact of tariffs on China, recession fears, and his administration’s defiance of prior norms on immigration and institutional authority.
Sources
The New York Times: Trump Live Updates: 'Meet the Press' Interview, Pope Image and Arts Grants - The New York Times
CNN: Live updates: Trump’s comments on immigration and the Constitution, tariffs and China | CNN Politics
NBC News: Trump, asked if he has to 'uphold the Constitution,' says, 'I don't know'
The Washington Post: Trump questions need to uphold Constitution in NBC interview - The Washington Post
The Wall Street Journal: Trump Says ‘I Don’t Know’ When Asked if He Must Uphold the Constitution - WSJ
Fox News did not feature any reporting on this aspect of the “Meet the Press” interview.
Key Points
Trump repeatedly stated "I don’t know" when asked if he must uphold the Constitution and ensure due process rights for noncitizens.
He justified rapid deportations by citing the logistical impossibility of holding millions of hearings.
Trump deferred responsibility to his legal team and cited the Supreme Court as the final arbiter.
The interview drew attention to the administration’s resistance to court orders, including the failure to return deported individuals like Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
His immigration agenda relies on controversial uses of historic laws like the Alien Enemies Act.
Trump also discussed economic strategy, asserting tariffs on China are economically beneficial despite recession fears and rising consumer prices.
Unique Highlights
The Washington Post noted Trump’s suggestion that he might use military force to acquire Greenland and might build a ballroom at the White House, echoing Mar-a-Lago.
NBC News uniquely detailed the administration’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged gang members without hearings.
The New York Times provided broader context on other legal defiance, including the ignored Supreme Court directive to return Abrego Garcia and Trump's remarks on a third term.
CNN included Trump's economic claims that avoiding trade with China saves “hundreds of billions of dollars” and that his administration will follow the Supreme Court's interpretation.
The Wall Street Journal reported on criticism from Sen. Richard Blumenthal, calling Trump “unfit,” and highlighted internal legal struggles in the Abrego Garcia case.
Contrasting Details
The Wall Street Journal emphasized external political backlash (such as Democratic criticism), while CNN and NBC News focused more on Trump’s own words and internal legal justifications.
The Washington Post included several unrelated interview topics—Greenland, TikTok, the Federal Reserve—which are not discussed in CNN or The Wall Street Journal.
While all outlets covered Trump’s deferral to lawyers and disregard for constitutional clarity, The New York Times added political framing by linking it to broader erosion of rule-of-law norms.
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