President Donald Trump gave a chilling answer when asked, in an interview with the New York Times, whether there are any constraints on his power in the wake of his invasion of Venezuela and ouster of the country's dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Trump spoke to the publication amid heightened concerns that the United States could take control of Greenland. Earlier this week, the White House said it was not ruling out military action to acquire Greenland from Denmark, a NATO ally.
Asked to explain what limits on his power exist, if any, he replied:
“Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me."
“I don’t need international law. I’m not looking to hurt people.”
You can hear the audio of his remarks below.
When pressed on whether his administration was required to follow international law, Trump replied, “I do,” but made clear that he would decide when those constraints applied to the United States, saying “it depends what your definition of international law is."
Trump suggested that courts have only limited authority to block his domestic agenda, including decisions involving the deployment of the National Guard and the imposition of tariffs, saying judicial oversight applies only “under certain circumstances.”
At the same time, he signaled he was already weighing ways to bypass potential legal setbacks.
Trump said that if tariffs imposed under emergency powers were overturned by the Supreme Court, his administration could recast them as licensing fees. He also reiterated his willingness to invoke the Insurrection Act, deploy active-duty military forces within the United States, and federalize National Guard units, framing the moves as necessary to restore law and order if he deemed it appropriate.
Trump's words were alarming and many are warning of the dangers ahead.
When asked about Greenland, Trump said "ownership is very important," dismissing the fact the territory is under the control of a key ally.
He said:
When asked why he needed to possess the territory. Because that’s what I feel is psychologically needed for success. I think that 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.”
Trump argued—as he has many times before—that before his first term, U.S. allies were failing to pay their fair share for defense while relying on America’s security umbrella. He claimed, "if it weren’t for me, Russia would have all of Ukraine right now.”
He appeared largely unconcerned that the last major nuclear arms control treaty with Russia was set to expire within four weeks, a lapse that would, for the first time in half a century, leave the world’s two largest nuclear powers unconstrained in expanding their arsenals.
Trump said, “We’ll just do a better agreement,” while insisting that China—whose nuclear arsenal is growing the fastest—must be included in any future deal.
