President Donald Trump provided his perspective on presidential authority, international law, and various foreign policy issues in a recent interview with the New York Times.
Presidential Authority and International Law
Trump stated that he considers his own morality and mind to be the sole limitations on his power as president. He remarked, "It's the only thing that can stop me," and added, "I'm not looking to hurt people." While acknowledging that his administration needed to adhere to international law, he clarified this by saying, "It depends on what your definition of international law is."
Views on Ownership and Greenland
During the interview, conducted as his administration explored options for acquiring Greenland, Trump emphasized the importance of ownership. He stated, "Ownership is very important," explaining, "Because that's what I feel is psychologically needed for success. I think that ownership gives you a thing that you can't do with, 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."
Venezuela and Regional Precedents
Trump dismissed concerns that the US's actions regarding Nicolás Maduro's presidency in Venezuela could establish a precedent for potential actions such as a Chinese takeover of Taiwan or a Russian attempt to control Ukraine.
He justified the US's approach to Venezuela by reiterating claims that Maduro had allegedly sent gang members into the United States. He contrasted this with other geopolitical situations, stating, "You didn't have people pouring into China. You didn't have drugs pouring into China. You didn't have all of the bad things that we've had. You didn't have the jails of Taiwan opened up and the people pouring into China," and noted that no criminals were "pouring into Russia."
Taiwan and China
Regarding Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump expressed his belief that Xi would not attempt to seize control of Taiwan. He told the New York Times, "That's up to him, what he's going to be doing. But you know, I've expressed to him that I would be very unhappy if he did that and I don't think he'll do that. I hope he doesn't." He further commented, "He may do it after we have a different president but I don’t think he’s going to do it with me as president."
Arms Control Treaty
Trump also addressed the expiring arms control treaty between the US and Russia, stating, "If it expires, it expires. We'll just do a better agreement." He suggested that China should be included in future agreements, noting, "You probably want to get a couple of other players involved also."
Broader Context
The interview took place amidst domestic tensions following a fatal shooting involving ICE in Minneapolis and ongoing discussions with European allies concerning a potential US acquisition of Greenland.