Trump says 'I don't know' if must uphold U.S. Constitution as president

President Trump unsure about upholding Constitution, denies considering third term, mentions potential successors in NBC interview.

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a television interview airing on Sunday (May 4, 2025) that he does not know whether he must uphold the U.S. Constitution.

He also said he is not seriously considering running for a third White House term, after musing publicly over an idea clearly barred by the nation's founding legal document.

“I don’t know,” Mr. Trump responded when the host of NBC News ‘Meet the Press with Kristen Welker’ asked directly whether he believes he needs to uphold the supreme law of the land.

Asked specifically whether American citizens and non-citizens alike deserve the due process of law, as the U.S. Constitution states, Mr. Trump said: "I'm not a lawyer. I don't know."

The President's aggressive moves to deport undocumented migrants — some without the benefit of a court hearing — have drawn widespread criticism, but Mr. Trump insists it is necessary in the face of what he has declared to be a "national emergency."

The suggestion of possibly seeking a third term in office has been sharply questioned by legal and constitutional scholars.

The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution states that "no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice."