Donald Trump gestures as he addresses House Republicans at their annual issues conference retreat, at the Kennedy Center, renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center by the Trump-appointed board of directors, in Washington DC on 6 January. evin Lamarque/ReutersDonald Trump gestures as he addresses House Republicans at their annual issues conference retreat, at the Kennedy Center, renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center by the Trump-appointed board of directors, in Washington DC on 6 January. evin Lamarque/ReutersExplainerTrump news at a glance: president says his morality is ‘the only thing that can stop me’President gives interview to New York Times as tensions mount at home and abroad over his federal and military actions – key US politics stories from 8 January 2026Does the president of the United States need to follow international law?According to Donald Trump, that “depends on what your definition of international law is”. In a new interview with the New York Times, Trump said the only constraint to his power as president is “my own morality, my own mind”.“It’s the only thing that can stop me,” Trump said, adding: “I’m not looking to hurt people.”Trump’s latest interview comes amid growing domestic tensions following ICE’s fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday which has spurred intense protests, and amid fraying relations with European allies over a potential US takeover of Greenland. Trump tells New York Times his power is constrained only by ‘my own morality’Trump, who spoke to the newspaper as his administration looks into “a range of options” in attempts of gaining control of Greenland, also emphasized the importance of ownership.“Ownership is very important,” Trump said, adding: “Because that’s what I feel is psychologically needed for success.
