‘I don’t need international law’: Trump says power constrained only by ‘my own morality’

 

‘I don’t need international law’: Trump says power constrained only by ‘my own morality’

 

President says morality ‘the only thing that can stop me’ in New York Times interview on limits to his authority

 

Maya Yang

Thu 8 Jan 2026 21.19 GMT

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/08/trump-power-international-law

 

Donald Trump has said ‘I don’t need international law” and that his power is limited only by his “own morality”.

 

In a new interview with the New York Times, Trump said the only constraint to his power as president of the US is “my own morality, my own mind”.

 

“It’s the only thing that can stop me,” Trump said, adding: “I’m not looking to hurt people.” He went on to concede “I do” in regards to whether his administration needed to adhere to international law, but said: “It depends on what your definition of international law is.”

 

Trump, who spoke to the newspaper as his administration looks into “a range of options” in attempts to gain control of Greenland, also emphasized the importance of ownership.

 

“Ownership is very important,” Trump said, adding: “Because that’s what I feel is psychologically needed for success. I think that ownership gives you a thing that you can’t do with, you’re talking about a lease or a treaty. Ownership gives you things and elements that you can’t get from just signing a document.”

 

Trump also dismissed concerns that his decision to oust Nicolás Maduro as Venezuela’s president would set the precedent of a potential Chinese takeover of Taiwan or Russia’s attempt to control Ukraine.

 

Justifying the US’s attacks on Venezuela, Trump repeated his controversial claims Maduro had allegedly sent gang members into the US.

 

“This was a real threat … You didn’t have people pouring into China. You didn’t have drugs pouring into China. You didn’t have all of the bad things that we’ve had. You didn’t have the jails of Taiwan opened up and the people pouring into China,” Trump said, adding that no criminals were “pouring into Russia”.

 

He said that he does not believe Chinese president Xi Jinping would seize control of Taiwan, telling the New York Times: “That’s up to him, what he’s going to be doing. But you know, I’ve expressed to him that I would be very unhappy if he did that and I don’t think he’ll do that. I hope he doesn’t.”

 

Trump added: “He may do it after we have a different president but I don’t think he’s going to do it with me as president.”

 

He also appeared unconcerned about the last arms control treaty between the US and Russia that is set to expire next month.

 

“If it expires, it expires,” Trump said, adding: “We’ll just do a better agreement.” He went on to say that China should be included in future agreements, saying: “You probably want to get a couple of other players involved also.”

 

Trump’s latest interview comes amid growing domestic tensions following ICE’s fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday, which has spurred intense protests, and amid fraying relations with European allies over a potential US takeover of Greenland.