Is Trump bound by US Constitution? He says 'I don't know' amid tussle with judiciary

US President Donald Trump stirred headlines after he admitted that he doesn’t know whether he has to uphold the Constitution of the United States, as the president of the country. The remarks from Trump came during his interview with NBC News. When asked about the president’s latest crackdown on immigration, Trump said that he wanted to ship undocumented immigrants out of the country as soon as possible.

He argued that it was inconceivable to hear millions of cases in court, insisting that he needed the power to quickly remove people he claimed were murderers and drug dealers. When asked if Trump believes that he has to uphold the American constitution, the president replied: “I don’t know”.

“I was elected to get them the hell out of here, and the courts are holding me from doing it,” he said. “I have brilliant lawyers that work for me, and they are going to follow what the Supreme Court said,” he averred. The remarks from the president appeared to undermine the oath he took once he came back to office. It is pertinent to note that the American leader commits to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.”

Trump defends his tariffs

In the wide-ranging interview that aired on Sunday, Trump reiterated his defence for imposing higher tariffs. He insisted that his administration would lower costs and fight inflation. He also minimised warnings raised by several economists that America might be heading into a recession. Trump suggested that the economy would be hit in the short term would be worth it if he could achieve his long-term goals.

“Everything’s okay,” he said. “… I said this is a transition period. I think we’re going to do fantastically.” The president noted that he is not worried about the American economy contracting under his watch, but did not rule it out. “Anything can happen,” he said. “But I think we’re going to have the greatest economy in the history of our country. I think we’re going to have the greatest economic boom in history.”

The remarks from the president came a week after new data showed that the American economy shrank for the first time in three years. After the figures started swirling around, Trump swiftly blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for the contracting. “I think the good parts are the Trump economy and the bad parts are the Biden economy because he’s done a terrible job,” he said. “He did a terrible job on everything.”

When asked in the NBC News interview whether he took responsibility for the impact his tariff plans were having on the economy, he said, “Ultimately, I take responsibility for everything.”