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Donald Trump slams 'archaic' US constitution that is 'really bad' for the country

Republican claims the checks and balances on power woven into the US system is to blame for his problems

Benjamin Kentish
Monday 01 May 2017 03:56 EDT
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Donald Trump slams 'archaic' US constitution that is 'really bad' for the country

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Donald Trump has blamed the US constitution for the problems he has encountered during his first 100 days in office.

In an interview with Fox News to mark the milestone, the Republican called the system of checks and balances on power “archaic”.

“It’s a very rough system,” he said. “It’s an archaic system … It’s really a bad thing for the country.”

It comes after a torrid few months in which Mr Trump has faced a series of setbacks and embarrassments.

His introduction of a travel ban on immigration from seven mainly Muslim countries was struck down by the courts, forcing him to put forward an amended version.

Weeks later, his healthcare bill was withdrawn after it failed to secure sufficient backing from Republican senators.

Those mishaps contributed to a sense of chaos that has seen Mr Trump’s popularity fall to unprecedented lows for a US president at this stage of their term. Mr Trump’s current ratings hover around 40 per cent; at the same point in his presidency, Barack Obama was on nearly 65 per cent.

Speaking to Fox, Mr Trump admitted he was “disappointed” with Republican senators, despite claiming to have “great relationships” with many of them.

The US President also urged Americans to celebrate 1 May as “Loyalty Day” – a recognition of what he said were the US values of loyalty to "individual liberties, to limited government, and to the inherent dignity of every human being".

The tradition dates from the Cold War, when the celebration was established as a way to stop traditional May Day celebrations being used by left-wing organisations.

Despite the setbacks, Mr Trump insisted he had kept his promises to the American people during his first 100 days in office.

“One hundred days ago, I took the oath of office and made a pledge: We are not merely going to transfer political power from one party to another, but instead are going to transfer that power from Washington, DC, and give it back to the people," he wrote in an article for the Washington Post.

“Issue by issue, department by department, we are giving the people their country back. After decades of a shrinking middle class, open borders and the mass offshoring of American jobs and wealth, this government is working for the citizens of our country and no one else.

“In the past 100 days, I have kept that promise — and more.”

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