In a provocative statement likely to unsettle allies and rivals alike, U.S. President Donald Trump declared Thursday that he “doesn’t need international law”, insisting that his authority is guided solely by “my own morals and my own mindset.”
Speaking to The New York Times, Trump said the only limit on his power as president is his personal ethics: “That’s the only thing that can stop me. I’m not looking to hurt people—but international law depends on how you define it.”
His remarks come amid rising global tension following earlier threats against Cuba and Greenland, as well as bold talk of expanding U.S. control over strategic territories. “Ownership is very important,” Trump said, adding: “It gives you something you can’t get from a lease or a treaty.”
On Venezuela, Trump justified the January 3rd U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, saying it was necessary to protect America from “criminal elements” allegedly sent by Caracas.
Turning to Asia, Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping “decides what happens with Taiwan,” stressing that he would be “very unhappy” if Beijing invaded the island. “I told Xi that I hope he doesn’t, and I don’t think he will while I’m president,” Trump said, calling for the preservation of stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Trump’s comments reflect an increasingly nationalist and unilateral approach to U.S. foreign policy—one that experts warn could further erode international norms and embolden rival powers to test the boundaries of global law and diplomacy.
