As his administration aggressively pursues deporting immigrants who entered the country illegally and other non-citizens, including some detained for pro-Palestinian activism and other political speech, President Donald Trump has stated that he is unsure whether Americans are entitled to the same level of protection as other citizens as the president.
Trump made his remarks during a Friday interview with Kristen Welker from his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida that was recorded for NBC News’ Meet the Press program on Sunday.
Welker questioned Trump about whether he concurd with Marco Rubio, the secretary of state of the US, who stated last month that “of course” all Americans are entitled to due process, which typically requires the government to give notice and a hearing before engaging in illegal behavior.
“I don’t know,” I’m not a lawyer, I’m not. Trump continued, “I don’t know,” adding that a requirement like that “wuld require a million, two million, or three million trials.”
The Fifth Amendment of the Constitution guarantees “due process of law,” which refers to a person’s legal protections when facing a criminal charge. Additionally, the 14th Amendment states that no state is able to “deny equal protection of the laws to anyone within its jurisdiction.”
Trump continued, adding that his attorneys “are going to obviously follow what the Supreme Court said.”
He claimed that courts are stopping him from bringing “some of the worst, most dangerous people on Earth” to his rescue, but that he was pressed to do so.
Trump claimed that he was elected to “get them the hell out of here” and that the courts are stopping him from doing so.
A group of Venezuelan immigrants that the Trump administration claimed were gang members were temporarily barred from deporting on April 19 by the Supreme Court justices. The justices have been asked to alter or narrow their order by Trump’s administration, which has used a flimsy 18th-century war law.
Detainees are being given advance notice of their removals, according to US Solicitor General Dean John Sauer, who stated in a Supreme Court filing that they have had “adequate time” to file claims for judicial review.
Without providing proof of gang membership, the Trump administration has deported hundreds of men. Authorities disregarded a court order that was supposed to shield him from deportation to El Salvador in one notable case, that involving Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia. Later, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement attorneys acknowledged that his removal was an “administrative error.”
third term
Trump also stated on the NBC show that pursuing a third term “is not something I’m looking to do.”
According to the best of my knowledge, Trump, who has made hints that he might run for a third term, said, “It’s something you’re not allowed to do.”
The 22nd Amendment of the Constitution states in part that no one may be elected more than once to the president’s office.
Trump also stated that despite the economic unrest brought on by his tariffs, the US economy is in a “transition period,” but that he anticipates it to continue growing “fantastically” in spite of it.
When Welker pointed out that some Wall Street analysts now claim that the chances of a recession are growing, he reacted with a sharp push.
Trump remarked, “Well, you know, some Wall Street people say, you know, I know.” I’ll tell you something else, I suppose. Some Wall Streeters claim that our economy will be the most prosperous ever.
He claimed he was not to blame for the US economy’s 0.3% decline in the first quarter and that he had no control over it.
According to his Democratic ally, former US President Joe Biden, “I think the good parts are the Trump economy and the bad parts are Biden’s economies because he’s done a terrible job.”
Trump added that before his term as head of the Fed expires in 2026, he won’t remove Jerome Powell, whom the president has repeatedly criticized for slowing interest rates.
Trump has threatened to fire Powell on numerous occasions in recent weeks. His attacks followed Powell’s announcement to keep the key interest rate at the US Federal Reserve, which is in charge of implementing US monetary policy, while “more clarity” is sought regarding the impact of policy changes in areas like immigration, taxation, regulation, and tariffs.
If no agreement was reached by that time, Trump also stated that he would extend the deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the US assets of TikTok, the short video app used by 170 million Americans, starting on June 19.
Trump remarked, “I would like to see it done.”
