U.S. President Donald Trump has said that his authority as commander-in-chief is limited only by his “own morality.” He made the remarks in an interview with The New York Times published on January 8.
Trump was responding to a question about whether any legal constraints exist on his global powers.
“I don’t need international law. I don’t want to harm people,” the U.S. president said.
When asked to clarify whether his administration is obligated to comply with international law, Trump said that he personally decides when such rules apply to the United States.
“Yes, but I decide when those limits apply to the U.S. It depends on how you define international law,” he added.
Earlier, on January 5, White House Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller told CNN that the Trump administration intends to pursue its foreign policy objectives through force rather than adherence to international legal norms.
“We are a superpower. And under President Trump, we are going to act like a superpower,” Miller said.
“We live in a real world governed by force, coercion, and power. That is the iron law of the world,” he added.
The statements come amid controversy surrounding a U.S. operation carried out in Caracas on the night of January 3, during which Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were detained. International law experts have described the operation as illegal.
