Does a president need to uphold the Constitution? Trump says 'I don't know'

President Trump — when asked if he thinks he needs to uphold the Constitution on "Meet the Press with Kristen Welker" — said, "I don't know," but added that his lawyers "are obviously going to follow what the Supreme Court said."

The response came after a series of questions regarding the right to due process for people living in the United States and the Fifth Amendment. During this exchange, Trump said he wants to deport millions of undocumented immigrants — who he called "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," Trump said.

Immigration enforcement was one of the top issues ahead of the 2024 presidential elections. It has been a strong issue for Trump, but recent polls show that Americans are disapproving of his handling of immigration.

Welker then pressed Trump on whether he, as president, needs to abide by the Constitution and the rights it provides to people in the U.S.

"I don't know," Trump said. "I have to respond by saying, again, I have brilliant lawyers that work for me, and they are going to obviously follow what the Supreme Court said. What you said is not what I heard the Supreme Court said. They have a different interpretation."

During the wide-ranging interview with NBC News, Trump also ruled out running for a third term — which the Constitution prohibits.

"This is not something I'm looking to do," Trump said. "I'm looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody."

Previously, Trump said he was "not joking" about a third term and contended "there are methods."

When asked about his successor, Trump complimented both Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"JD's doing a fantastic job," he said. "Marco is great… We have a lot of good people in this party."

On the economy, Trump blamed former-President Joe Biden for the "bad parts," while taking credit for "good parts" of the economy.

"Ultimately, I take responsibility for everything," Trump said when pressed by Welker. "But I've only just been here for a little more than three months."

Trump also celebrated his tariff policies — which have roiled financial markets and increased the possibility of a recession. He said the tariffs could be permanent.

Last week, the Commerce Department reported that the U.S. economy shrank by a annual rate of 0.3% in the first quarter of the year.

"The fake news was giving me such press on the tariffs," Trump said. "The tariffs are going to make us rich. We're going to be a very rich country."

When asked if the president believes a recession in the short term could benefit the country long term, Trump said the country is in a time of transformation.

"Look, yeah, it's everything's OK," he said. "What we are. I said, this is a transition period. I think we're going to do fantastically."

The president continued his criticism of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for not lowering interest rates as quickly as Trump would like, but the president notably said he has no plans to remove Powell before the end of his term in 2026. Previously, Trump threatened to terminate the chairman — sending shock waves in the markets over worries that the Federal Reserve would lose its independence.

Later in the interview, Trump refused to rule out the use of military force on Greenland and said, "it could happen."

"We need Greenland very badly," he said. "Greenland is a very small amount of people, which we'll take care of, and we'll cherish them, and all of that. But we need that for international security."

Trump also said he plans to continue to talk about annexing Canada and making it the 51st state, but he said it's "highly unlikely" he'd use military force against Canada. Trump is set to meet with newly elect Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney soon.

When asked about worries that he is taking the country down an authoritarian path, Trump rebuffed the suggestion.

"Those people are going to be very happy," Trump said of those critics who see the country headed down an authoritarian path. "They're going to have to see some results."

Welker then asked Trump whether he believes his critics have the right to speak against him without fear of retribution.

"Absolutely," he said. "Yeah, I do. That I do."

Trump has frequently railed against his political critics in his social media posts, pulled the security clearances and details for some, and vowed investigations against others.
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