Donald Trump apparently thinks the Constitution is optional, useful only when it supports what he wants to do.
In an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Trump said that moving speedily to carry out mass deportations may take precedence over giving immigrants the right to due process under the Constitution, as required by courts.
“I don’t know. I’m not, I’m not a lawyer. I don’t know,” Trump replied to a question about statements by Secretary of State Mario Rubio who had said, “Yes, of course,” to whether every person in the United States is entitled to due process. “We’d have to have a million or 2 million or 3 million trials,” Trump said. “We have thousands of people that are — some murderers and some drug dealers and some of the worst people on Earth. I was elected to get them the hell out of here, and the courts are holding me from doing it.”
The interview covered a lot of topics, and drew Trump ire for asking questions he thought were bent on showing tariffs having a depressing effect on growth and the economy, as reflected in any set of economic measures not authored by Trump. Most news outlets nevertheless found the doubt about the protection of the Constitution the most noteworthy event, except on Fox, Breitbart and Newsmax, which ignored the comment altogether.
While Trump said he would follow court rulings, it was clear that a promise to implement the “largest deportation operation” in U.S. history may require deportations without allowing a hearing even to show that they are convicted of crimes, members of targeted gangs, or in violation of some other standard adopted by the Trump administration. Already, those deportations have involved U.S. children of undocumented migrants, graduate students outspoken against the war in the Middle East, people with tattoos or hats associated with gang membership. Already, we’re way beyond undocumented people with criminal records.
As lawsuits challenging such deportations are working their way towards the Supreme Court — which has ruled 9-0 that due process indeed is a basic Constitutional value — Trump wants to decide what the law is, and well as who is breaking it. Any chance his comments will become part of every court challenge about deportations going forward?
Why did we bother with an inauguration in which Donald Trump swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and to promote the laws of the land? What meaning did putting his hand on a Bible have — though keen observers of the Jan. 20 proceedings have showed that he never did put his hand on the Bible? What America is he protecting exactly when he thinks the Constitution is optional?
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