President Donald Trump’s latest remarks on NBC’s Meet the Press have reignited debate over his commitment to constitutional due process. In a combative interview, Trump was pressed by host Kristen Welker on whether all individuals in the U.S.-citizens and non-citizens alike-are entitled to due process under the Fifth Amendment. His response: “I don’t know. I’m not a lawyer. I don’t know”
The exchange comes as the Trump administration ramps up deportations, including cases where legal challenges and Supreme Court orders have clashed with the president’s agenda. Trump lamented that courts are blocking his efforts to deport what he described as “some of the worst, most dangerous people,” and suggested that providing due process could mean “a million or two million or three million trials”
Critics, including legal experts and political figures, have expressed alarm at Trump’s apparent uncertainty about a fundamental constitutional right. The Fifth Amendment guarantees due process for anyone facing criminal prosecution, regardless of citizenship status The controversy is compounded by recent cases, such as that of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an undocumented immigrant deported despite a Supreme Court order for his return
Trump’s comments, aired Sunday, have sparked a wave of concern and debate about the administration’s approach to constitutional rights and the rule of law
