Trump reportedly told Native American leaders to break federal law

At a meeting in June, President Trump reportedly encouraged Native American leaders to break federal law and bypass regulations that frustrated their ability to harness energy, a person present told Axios. "Chief, chief," Trump apparently told one leader in the room after encouraging the flagrant violations. "What are they going to do? Once you get it out of the ground, are they going to make you put it back in there? I mean, once it's out of the ground it can't go back in there. You've just got to do it."

An official in the room apparently spoke up to clarify that the administration was working on rolling back regulations, only for Trump to speak out again. "Guys, I feel like you're not hearing me right now," Trump reportedly said. "We've just got to do it. I feel like we've got no choice; other countries are just doing it. China is not asking questions about all of this stuff. They're just doing it. And guys, we've just got to do it."

The White House did not dispute Axios' account, although another person in the room said Trump did not encourage the violation of any standing laws and that the meeting was unremarkable. Still, Axios notes that the report is "increasingly the norm" for the president, who "considers himself above the traditions, limits and laws of the presidency — even when he's not, as in this case." Read more at Axios.

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