Does 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. 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 cooperating fully and US will control its oil for years, Trump claims
The US is receiving full cooperation from Venezuela’s regime and will control the country and its vast oil reserves for years, Donald Trump has claimed. Caracas was giving Washington “everything that we feel is necessary” and the US would remain a political overlord there for an indefinite period, the US president said.
Senate advances war powers resolution as check on further military action in Venezuela
The US Senate on Thursday advanced a bipartisan war powers resolution to prevent Donald Trump from taking further military action against Venezuela, after he ordered a weekend raid to capture that country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, without giving Congress advance notice.
ICE agent in Minneapolis killing identified as 10-year law enforcement veteran
The ICE agent involved in the lethal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good during an immigration sweep in Minneapolis on Wednesday is Jonathan E Ross, according to court records that closely match the description of a June 2025 incident involving the agent in Bloomington, Minnesota, cited by the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, and JD Vance.
FBI takes over case of ICE agent killing US woman, cuts Minnesota’s access to evidence
The FBI has taken full control of the investigation into the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) officer in Minneapolis, it emerged on Thursday.
Two people shot by US federal agents in Portland
Portland leaders and Oregon lawmakers demanded that ICE cease operations in the city after two people were shot by US Customs and Border Protection agents on Thursday afternoon. The two victims were hospitalized but their condition was not known as of Thursday evening.
US House breaks with Trump to revive Affordable Care Act subsidies
The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed legislation to re-establish tax credits that lowered premiums for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans, after a small group of Republicans broke ranks and joined with Democrats to defy Donald Trump on a key healthcare issue that could sway voters ahead of the November midterm elections.
France and Germany condemn US foreign policy under Trump
The presidents of France and Germany have sharply condemned US foreign policy under Donald Trump, saying respectively that Washington was “breaking free from international rules” and the world risked turning into a “robber’s den”.
In unusually strong and apparently uncoordinated remarks, Emmanuel Macron and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, leaders of the EU’s two heavyweight states, have warned the postwar rules-based international order could soon disintegrate.
New $100 US parks fee for non-residents risks ‘alienating visitors’
A new $100 fee for foreign tourists entering US national parks has triggered chaos and frustrating waits, with staff reporting long entry lines as citizenship checks are made and irate visitors regularly ditching plans to patronize some of America’s most cherished landscapes.
US congressmen ask judge to appoint official to force release of all Epstein files
Two US House of Representatives members have asked a federal judge to appoint a special master to compel the justice department to release all files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender.
What else happened today:
UnitedHealth refused to hand over key internal records to lawmakers investigating the company’s efforts to reduce hospital transfers for nursing home residents, according to a letter sent by US senators to the company.
Five days after the US seized Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela has announced it is releasing an “important number” of detainees in what the congressional president characterised as a gesture to “consolidate peace”.
Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro announced he will seek a second term in office, setting the stage for what many Democrats view as an audition for a future White House run.
Current and former Fema staff expressed outrage over reports that the agency has drafted plans to eliminate thousands of staff in 2026 – part of a broader restructuring effort being overseen by homeland security secretary Kristi Noem.
General Motors said on Thursday it will record a one-time earnings hit of $7.1bn in its quarterly financial results, mostly due to its pullback from electric vehicles in light of shifting US policies.
A 22-year-old preschool teacher arrested after a TV interview alleges she was targeted due to a trip she took to Venezuela in November.
Austin Peay State University has reinstated a professor who was fired for his social media post after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The Tennessee school is also paying the teacher $500,000 in the settlement.
Catching up? Here’s what happened on 7 January 2026.
