When asked in May whether he needed to uphold the Constitution of the United States, President Donald Trump responded, “I don’t know.�
That answer seemed to shock many, but perhaps it shouldn’t have. Rather than signaling disregard, Trump’s response reflected a rare, if blunt, honesty about the serious constitutional flaws that have allowed our federal government to grow unbounded and fiscally reckless.
kAm%@ BF6DE:@? H96E96C @?6 42? 7F==J FA9@=5 D@>6E9:?8 D@ 566A=J 4@>AC@>:D65 :D ?@E 2 36EC2J2=] x?DE625[ :E :D 2 492==6?86 E@ 5@ 36EE6C]k^Am
kAmxE :D 62DJ E@ 2C8F6 E92E %CF>A >FDE AC6D6CG6[ AC@E64E 2?5 5676?5 E96 r@?DE:EFE:@?[ ?@ >2EE6C H92E] %92E @2E9 :D D@=6>?[ 2?5 :E >2EE6CD] $@ 5@6D E96 DF3DE2?46 @7 E96 5@4F>6?E 96 2?5 6G6CJ AC6D:56?E 2?5 @E96C 8@G6C?>6?E @77:4:2=D 92G6 DH@C? E@ FA9@=5]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ E96 r@?DE:EFE:@? 92D 366? 6C@565 @G6C E:>6[ A2CE:4F=2C=J D:?46 E96 `hb_D[ H96? E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE =@H6C65 E96 DE2?52C5 @7 ;F5:4:2= D4CFE:?J 7@C 64@?@>:4 =:36CE:6D] $:?46 E96?[ r@?8C6DD 92D 366? A6C>:EE65 E@ ;FDE:7J ?62C=J 2?J 64@?@>:4 =68:D=2E:@? H:E9 E96 G28F6DE =:?< E@ AF3=:4 H6=72C6] %96 C6DF=E 92D 366? E96 5C2>2E:4 6IA2?D:@? @7 7656C2= A@H6C 2?5 E96 H62<6?:?8 @7 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= 4964<D 2?5 32=2?46D]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 r@?DE:EFE:@?’D >@DE 52?86C@FD @>:DD:@?D :D E96 =24< @7 4@?DEC2:?ED @? E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E’D 23:=:EJ E@ E2I[ DA6?5 2?5 3@CC@H] u@C >F49 @7 &]$] 9:DE@CJ[ 2? :?7@C>2= 4F=EFC6 @7 7:D42= ACF56?46 <6AE E96D6 A@H6CD :? 4964<] %9@>2D y6776CD@?’D 25>@?:E:@? E92E ?@ 86?6C2E:@? D9@F=5 3FC56? E96 ?6IE H:E9 563E :D 2 D6?E:>6?E E92E 8F:565 A@=:4J] $A64:7:42==J[ 563E H2D 2446AE23=6 5FC:?8 H2CE:>6[ 3FE :E H2D 6IA64E65 E@ 36 A2:5 5@H? :? A6246E:>6]k^Am
kAm$E2E6D 92G6 24E65 H96C6 E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E 92D 72:=65] x? E96 `hE9 46?EFCJ[ H96? DE2E6D 5672F=E65 @? 42?2= 2?5 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 563E[ E96J C6DA@?565 3J 255:?8 32=2?465 3F586E AC@G:D:@?D E@ E96:C 4@?DE:EFE:@?D]k^Am
kAmx? E96 a_E9 46?EFCJ[ 4:E:K6?D 282:? E@@< >2EE6CD :?E@ E96:C @H? 92?5D] r2=:7@C?:2’D !C@A@D:E:@? `b =2F?4965 2 ?2E:@?2= E2I C6G@=E[ 2?5 r@=@C25@’D %pq~# 2>6?5>6?E :>A@D65 DEC:4E =:>:ED @? 8@G6C?>6?E 8C@HE9] %96D6 C67@C>D H6C6 4:E:K6?\=65[ 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= :? ?2EFC6[ 2?5 5C:G6? 3J E96 C62=:K2E:@? E92E F?4964<65 8@G6C?>6?E =625D E@ F?DFDE2:?23=6 7:D42= A2E9D]k^Am
kAm%@52J[ E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E :D 9FCE=:?8 E@H2C5 2 563E 4C:D:D] $E2EFE@CJ 7:D42= CF=6D A2DD65 3J r@?8C6DD 92G6 366? C@FE:?6=J H2:G65 @C :8?@C65 3J 3@E9 A2CE:6D] %96 “q:8 q62FE:7F= q:==� C646?E=J 2AAC@G65 3J E96 w@FD6 � 492>A:@?65 3J %CF>A � C64@8?:K6D E96 6IA2?565 C@=6 @7 8@G6C?>6?E 3FE 2=D@ F?56CD4@C6D E96 ?665 7@C DECF4EFC2= C67@C>] (:E9@FE 4=62C 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= 3@F?52C:6D[ 2?J 25>:?:DEC2E:@? � #6AF3=:42? @C s6>@4C2E:4 � H:== 7246 E96 E6>AE2E:@? E@ DA6?5 H:E9@FE C6DEC2:?E]k^Am
kAm%9:D :D H9J %CF>A’D D66>:?8=J @7792?5 C6>2C< 56D6CG6D 2 566A6C C625:?8] (96? 96 D2:5[ “x 5@?’E <?@H[� 96 H2D?’E C6;64E:?8 E96 r@?DE:EFE:@?] w6 H2D 6IAC6DD:?8 4@?46C? 23@FE 2 5@4F>6?E E92E ?@ =@?86C 7F?4E:@?D 2D 2? 67764E:G6 32CC:6C 282:?DE 8@G6C?>6?E @G6CC6249] w6 H2D 9@=5:?8 FA 2 >:CC@C[ ?@E =:89E:?8 2 >2E49]k^Am
kAm~E96C 4@F?EC:6D[ DF49 2D $H:EK6C=2?5[ 92G6 2>6?565 E96:C 4@?DE:EFE:@?D E@ :>A@D6 7:D42= 5:D4:A=:?6[ 2?5 :E 92D 366? 67764E:G6] q2=2?465 3F586ED 2?5 DFDE2:?23=6 563E 2C6 249:6G23=6 H96? CF=6D 2C6 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= 2?5 3:?5:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 92D EC:65 7@C 2 46?EFCJ E@ A2DD DF49 2? 2>6?5>6?E] s6DA:E6 C6A62E65 2EE6>AED[ r@?8C6DD 92D 72:=65 E@ >FDE6C E96 EH@\E9:C5D� G@E6 ?66565 E@ >@G6 :E 7@CH2C5]k^Am
kAmu@CEF?2E6=J[ E96 u@F?56CD 2?E:4:A2E65 E9:D] pCE:4=6 ' @7 E96 r@?DE:EFE:@? 6>A@H6CD 4:E:K6?D 2?5 DE2E6D[ 2D H6== 2D r@?8C6DD[ E@ AC@A@D6 2>6?5>6?ED] qJ E96 =2E6 `hf_D[ EH@\E9:C5D @7 E96 DE2E6D 925 DF3>:EE65 2AA=:42E:@?D 7@C 2? pCE:4=6 ' 4@?G6?E:@? E@ AC@A@D6 2 7:D42= C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 2>6?5>6?E] r@?8C6DD :8?@C65 :ED >:?:DE6C:2= 5FEJ E@ 4@F?E E9@D6 2AA=:42E:@?D]k^Am
kAm}@H[ AC:G2E6 @C82?:K2E:@?D 2?5 DE2E6 =68:D=2E@CD 2C6 @?46 282:? AC6DD:?8 7@C 24E:@?[ :?4=F5:?8 =682= A6E:E:@?D E@ C6BF:C6 r@?8C6DD E@ 7F=7:== :ED 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= C@=6]k^Am
kAm(96? q6?;2>:? uC2?<=:? H2D 2D<65 H92E 7@C> @7 8@G6C?>6?E E96 r@?DE:EFE:@?2= r@?G6?E:@? 925 4C62E65[ 96 C6A=:65[ “p C6AF3=:4 � :7 J@F 42? <66A :E]� z66A:?8 :E E@52J >62?D >@C6 E92? 5676?5:?8 E96 r@?DE:EFE:@? 2D :E 6I:DEDj :E >62?D :>AC@G:?8 :E H96? :ED 72:=FC6D 2C6 2AA2C6?E] r:E:K6?D 2?5 DE2E6D >FDE 24E H96C6 r@?8C6DD H:== ?@E]k^Am
kAm%CF>A’D 4C:E:4D D66 9:D 4@>>6?E 2D 2 5:D2G@H2= @7 E96 r@?DE:EFE:@?] x D66 :E 2D 2 AC@G@42E:@? E@ 7:I H92E’D 3C@<6? 2?5 2 42== 7@C p>6C:42?D E@ 5@ H92E E96 r@?DE:EFE:@? :ED6=7 6>A@H6CD E96> E@ 5@] %92E :D ?@E 2 72:=FC6 E@ AC6D6CG6[ AC@E64E @C 5676?5 E96 r@?DE:EFE:@?] xE :D @?6 @7 E96 >@DE 72:E97F= 6IAC6DD:@?D @7 E92E @2E9 :? >@56C? E:>6D]k^Am
