US President Donald Trump has caused fresh controversy by saying he is unsure whether he needs to uphold the United States Constitution, the country’s most important legal document.
During an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker on Sunday (May 04), Trump was asked directly whether he believes he has a duty to respect the Constitution. His response was, “I don’t know.”
When pressed further on whether both citizens and non-citizens are entitled to due process under the law, as stated in the Constitution, Trump replied, “I’m not a lawyer. I don’t know.”
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Past clashes with the courts
Although the remarks seemed controversial, they weren’t surprising. Trump has previously been accused of acting in ways that go against constitutional values.
A major case currently drawing attention involves Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old man from El Salvador who was deported on 15 March 2025. The Supreme Court later ruled that the Trump administration must help return him to the US, but the administration has refused.
Trump stated he might seek further clarification from the court on what “facilitate” means in this context.
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Trump administration defies Supreme Court order
The issue has become a legal flashpoint. Despite the court’s decision, Trump officials have insisted they will not bring Abrego Garcia back. They argue that the judiciary is overstepping its role by interfering in foreign policy decisions.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the administration’s stance: “The foreign policy of the United States is conducted by President Donald J. Trump − not by a court − and no court in the United States has a right to conduct the foreign policy of the United States,” he said on 14 April.
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