US President Donald Trump has asserted that his own sense of morality is the primary limit on his authority in global affairs, downplaying the role of international law as a meaningful restraint on presidential power.

The comments were made during an interview with The New York Times conducted last week, the transcript of which was released on Sunday. When asked what could prevent him from acting if he believed US national security was under threat, Trump pointed inward rather than to laws or institutions.

“There’s only one thing that stops me,” Trump said. “My morality. My thinking. That’s it — and that’s a good thing.”

When pressed on whether international law served as a check on his decisions, the president dismissed the idea, saying he did not require it to guide his actions. He maintained that while he had no intention of harming people, he would not hesitate to act decisively to safeguard American interests.

Trump argued that global influence is determined by strength and deterrence rather than legal frameworks. He claimed that organisations such as NATO do not command fear from adversaries like Russia or China on their own, asserting that US military power is the alliance’s true backbone.

“The reason we’re feared is because I rebuilt the military,” he said, adding that without those investments, the United States would lack leverage on the world stage.

According to Trump, nations have the right to intervene when they perceive serious threats, and decisive action is often necessary. He suggested that adherence to international law is secondary when interpretations conflict with national security priorities.

Citing his time in office, Trump claimed credit for ending multiple long-running conflicts, saying he had brought an end to “eight wars,” some of which had spanned decades. He expressed frustration that these efforts did not result in recognition such as a Nobel Peace Prize, drawing a contrast with former president Barack Obama.

“I ended eight wars and didn’t get the Nobel Peace Prize,” Trump said. “That’s quite something.”

When questioned about the possibility of deploying US ground forces to countries such as Venezuela, Trump avoided specifics but indicated that military options could not be ruled out.