Trump claims his power is limited only by 'my own morality,' dismisses international law constraints

In an interview with The New York Times published January 8, 2026, President Donald Trump declared that the only constraint on his presidential power is 'my own morality, my own mind' and stated 'I don't need international law.' When asked if there were limits on his global powers as commander-in-chief, Trump said: 'Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It's the only thing that can stop me.' While he conceded the U.S. 'needed to adhere to international law,' he qualified this by saying 'it depends on what your definition of international law is' and that in situations where it restricts the U.S., he is the decision-maker. The comments came days after he launched military operations against Venezuela and threatened Iran and Greenland.

"Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It's the only thing that can stop me." — Response to question about limits on his global powers as commander-in-chief in New York Times interview