TOP STORY

Asked if he has to uphold Constitution, Trump gives stunning answer

Donald Trump—a man who swore to protect and uphold the Constitution of the United States (twice)—now claims he “doesn’t know” if he has to “uphold the constitution.”

• Trump also refused (again) to say everyone is entitled to due process of law, as required by the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.

It’s another stunning warning from a fascist, would-be dictator—who has made no secret of his desire to hold on to power.

WHAT HAPPENED: Trump has been making the rounds with corporate media outlets, desperate to spin his disastrous first 100 days in office.

Yesterday, he sat down with NBC’s Meet the Press, whose host, Kirsten Welker, asked what would be a softball question for any other president:

WHY IT MATTERS: Refusing to uphold the constitution—or guarantee that everyone has a right to due process of law—means Donald Trump is violating his oath of office.

The Fifth Amendment of the constitution says “no person” shall be “deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”

• It does not say that the person must be a U.S. citizen—and the Supreme Court has long recognized that noncitizens have certain basic rights.

Even if Trump only wants to deport the “worst of the worst,” as he said in the interview, how do we know who that is — without due process?

• Without due process, people who are here legally—like Kilmar Abrego Garcia or even American citizens—can be literally disappeared by our government for no other reason than having tattoos.

ALSO IN TRUMP NEWS: Apparently desperate to change the conversation, Trump made two big announcements on Truth Social last night:

• He now wants to re-open Alcatraz prison, which has been closed for more than 60 years

• And he’s putting a 100% tariff on all foreign movies.

GO DEEPER: If we want to stop Trumpism, we need a more democratic constitution.

MAKING NEWS

Elon Musk admits he was radicalized by his own platform

What turns a run-of-the-mill white guy into an all-out transphobic fascist? The public health crisis known as social media. Musk, who once donated money to the Obama campaign, admitted in a weekend interview with Fox News what his own biographer suspected was the case, that he had been radicalized by Twitter. Full story from The Daily Beast.

Bernie re-introduces “Medicare For All” bill

For the third time across three presidencies, Bernie Sanders has re-introduced his “Medicare for All” bill. The bill would give Americans universal healthcare by extending Medicare to cover not just seniors—to anyone who wants it. Until we elect more progressives, the bill is likely dead in the water—but props to the O.G. for keeping the issue front and center. Read Bernie’s op-ed in The Guardian.

Air traffic controller warns major airport unsafe for travel

After a week of delays and 20% of its air traffic controllers walking off the job in disgust, one insider is warning that Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the three airports serving New York City and a critical travel hub for millions, is unsafe for travel. The warning comes as Trump and Musk move to gut federal spending, including in aviation. Full story from MSNBC.

Migrant woman gives birth in detention — with ICE agents right outside door

The woman, originally from Guatemala, was eight months pregnant, alone, and wandering the Arizona desert for two days before being detained by Border Patrol near the border. She gave birth under federal watch—then ICE took her. She was initially slated for expedited removal—essentially fast-track deportation—until community pressure forced officials to backtrack. Full story from CNN.

QUESTION OF THE DAY

THURSDAY’S QUESTION: After Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer greeted Trump with a big hug last week and then appeared with him at a rally, we asked do you think normalizing Trump is a good political strategy? It was a landslide.

MLivingtson voted no and really hit the nail on the head: “‘Political strategy’ is one of the things that has gotten our country into the current mess it's in. Commitment to ethics, integrity, the pursuit of truth and the rule of law, the common good, and honoring our Constitution at all times needs to be the focus of everyone in any and all political parties.”

Cheryl voted, “No, it just feeds his ego and makes him more power hungry.”

Debroth went on a rampage: “This freak of a human being has been coddled and spoon-fed all his worthless life. It is our civic duty, and necessary to the health and welfare of the true-blue Americans, to school this manchild on what it is to love and respect the United States of America… all of them!!!!! Donald needs a reality check. Then he needs to spend the remainder of his sham rich boy life in prison.” Here’s hoping 🤞

TODAY’S QUESTION: During his catastrophic interview with Meet the Press yesterday, when asked about potential successors, Trump brought up J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio. Which one do you think is more a danger to democracy?

IN DEPTH

Israel’s total siege of Gaza has become “catastrophic”

The nightmare continues. It’s been more than 60 days since Israel ordered a halt to all humanitarian aid entering Gaza—no food, fuel or even medicine—and the situation is becoming “catastrophic” according to doctors.

THE SITUATION: According to the New York Times, hospitals have run out of life-saving drugs and food is nearly nonexistent.

• Gaza’s Health Ministry says 37% of essential medicines are gone—with doctors rationing dialysis and telling patients with treatable conditions that there’s nothing they can do.

• Israel is even accused of attacking a ship full of supplies for Gaza, where the U.N. says all food could be gone in a matter of days.

Israel says the blockade is necessary until Hamas releases hostages—and has called up tens of thousands of reservists apparently to launch a new offensive in what’s left of Gaza.

BIG PICTURE: What this actually amounts to is the illegal use of starvation as a weapon of war—part of Israel’s ongoing genocide of the native Palestinian population.

• One expert even says he thinks Israel is “hell-bent” on depopulating Gaza of all native Palestinians, much like white Americans did to Native Americans 150 years ago.

The only way this will stop is if the United States, Israel’s only defender and chief source of income, forces Israel to abandon its genocidal ambitions.

Don’t stop calling your members of Congress, protesting whenever or however you can, or posting on social media. The Palestinians need us now more than ever to use our voices to save their lives.

AND NOW: Overnight, the AP reports Israel plans to capture and hold all of Gaza——a direct violation of the Geneva Convention (not that Israel seems to care).

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UNDER THE RADAR

Stories the algorithm may have kept out of your feed.

• The resistance gets unlikely new leaders: A billionaire and a bartender are emerging as Trump’s biggest headaches

• Biden’s brain trust: Why his aides refused a cognitive test—even though they thought he’d ace it

• Party over policy? Guess which Trump official is spending more time in nightclubs than the office—and no, it’s not who you think

• Tonight’s Met Gala theme is a long-overdue tribute to a culture that reshaped fashion

• How postwar Germany fell in love with Israel

• SNL pinpoints the creepiest part of Trump’s AI Pope photo—plus the joke that got groans

• And now the White House is being mocked for sharing another AI image of Trump — and made one pretty big mistake

• Pope Francis’ final act of kindness revealed: what he did with all his remaining money—and why it matters

• On that topic: are we about to get a woke Pope?

• She went viral for being racist—and made an eye-popping amount of money in the aftermath

• The White House is hosting fake press briefings for MAGA influencers — like ‘Maga Malfoy’

• And: This muppet hilariously explains why that muppet is beefing with PBS