Donald Trump says ‘I don’t need international law’ but admitted there is only one bizarre thing that controls his power

President Trump recently revealed that the only thing that actually limits his power when it comes to ordering foreign military intervention is his own personal moral compass. That’s a pretty staggering statement, and it came out during a New York Times interview following weeks of intense scrutiny over U.S. actions overseas.

When asked specifically if there were any limits on his international authority, the president was crystal clear about where the true boundary lies. He told the interviewer, “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”

The president was blunt about his priorities, stating directly, “I don’t need international law.” He quickly added that he is “not looking to hurt people.” While his initial comments dismissed international law entirely, he did walk that back slightly later in the discussion. He suggested he does have to adhere to international law, but qualified that adherence by saying it “depends what your definition of international law is.”

These comments follow a really active period for the U.S. military

In the first year of his second term, the U.S. has conducted strikes against groups in places like Venezuela, Yemen, Syria, Somalia, Nigeria, Iraq, and Iran. The most high-profile action was definitely the decision to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. That move immediately drew intense backlash and serious concerns that a major war might start.

Congressional pushback is already happening, and it’s coming from both sides of the aisle. Five Senate Republicans actually joined a bipartisan group to advance a War Powers resolution. This resolution is designed specifically to block the president from using any further military force against Venezuela without explicit congressional authorization.

Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, voiced her significant concerns about the president’s intent to essentially “run” Venezuela. While she was supportive of the initial action, calling the operation to seize Maduro “extraordinary in its precision and complexity,” she drew a hard line on further military expansion.

Senator Collins made it clear that while she supported the initial seizure, “I do not support committing additional U.S. forces or entering into any long-term military involvement in Venezuela or Greenland without specific congressional authorization.”

The president is still absolutely focused on acquiring Greenland, which is a Danish territory. He brought up the issue in the same interview, saying that “ownership is important.” For months, he’s been describing the island as essential to national security. Now he’s adding a psychological element to his reasoning, stating that the territory is “psychologically needed for success.”

He explained his perspective on why ownership matters so much more than any agreement. “Ownership gives you a thing that you can’t do, whether 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,” he said.