President Donald Trump, after about 100 days in office, kinda questioned if he had a duty to uphold the Constitution and the Fifth Amendment right to due process. He seemed pretty frustrated with the pushback from the courts on his mass deportation efforts. In an interview with NBC News, Trump was asked if he agreed with Secretary of State Marco Rubio that both citizens and noncitizens should get due process. Trump was all like, “I don’t know. I’m not a lawyer. I don’t know.” The Fifth Amendment says that no one should be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, but Trump was like, “I don’t know. It seems that way, but then we’d have to have a million or 2 million or 3 million trials. We have thousands of people who are murderers, drug dealers, and just really bad people, and I was elected to kick them out, but the courts are stopping me.” When asked if he needed to uphold the Constitution, Trump was like, “I don’t know. I have really smart lawyers who will do what the Supreme Court says.”
Legal experts said that the Fifth Amendment doesn’t differentiate between citizens and noncitizens, and even Justice Scalia said that everyone, not just Americans, are entitled to due process. Trump, though, doesn’t seem to be on the same page. He took the oath of office on January 20, swearing to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution to the best of his ability, but his recent comments suggest otherwise. He even said he wants to appoint judges who won’t challenge his deportation plan, showing a blatant disregard for constitutional boundaries.
His comments have sparked criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike, with many calling out his lack of respect for the Constitution. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called it “as un-American as it gets,” while Republican Sen. Rand Paul emphasized that following the Constitution is not optional. Critics are concerned that Trump’s approach could turn the country into an authoritarian state rather than a constitutional republic.
Overall, Trump’s stance on due process and deportation raises serious questions about his commitment to upholding the Constitution and respecting the rule of law. It remains to be seen how his administration will navigate these issues moving forward, but one thing is clear: his approach is causing quite a stir among legal experts and policymakers.
