U.S. President Donald Trump said international law does not constrain his actions and that only his personal judgment limits the use of his power, in an interview with The New York Times.
“I don’t need international law. I’m not looking to hurt people,” Trump told the paper on Thursday.
Asked what restrains him as president, Trump said the only limit was “my own morality, my own mind”.
“It’s the only thing that can stop me,” Trump said.
His comments come days after U.S. forces abducted Maduro from Caracas and transferred him to the United States, a move criticised by some governments and legal experts as a violation of the United Nations Charter, which bans the use of force against the political independence of states.
Trump later said the United States would “run” Venezuela and exploit its oil reserves, while his administration said it would cooperate with interim President Delcy Rodriguez but dictate policy to her government.
“If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” Trump said in an interview with The Atlantic.
In the interview, Trump also doubled down on the importance of "ownership" in U.S. foreign policy as his administration explores options to gain control of Greenland.
“Ownership is very important,” Trump said. “Because that’s what I feel is psychologically needed for success.”
He said ownership provided advantages that could not be achieved through agreements alone.
“You’re talking about a lease or a treaty,” Trump said. “Ownership gives you things and elements that you can’t get from just signing a document.”
Trump has also escalated rhetoric toward other governments, including Colombia, and in June ordered U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities after joining Israel’s war against Tehran.
Senior aide Stephen Miller has said the United States would “unapologetically” use military force to secure its interests in the Western Hemisphere.
