LAW AS AMERICA'S WEAPON

On 9 January 2026 the New York Times published a startling interview with the U.S. President Donald Trump.

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When asked whether there were any limits on his ability to project American power globally, Trump replied that there was one constraint: “my own morality, my own mind, it’s the only thing that can stop me.” He told the interviewer that he doesn't need international law and only needs to follow his own moral. compassmoneycontrol.com. Trump repeated this point to other media outlets, noting that he might need to abide by international law “depending what your definition of international law is”. Coming amid a series of unilateral U.S. actions - including the abduction of Venezuelan, president Nicolas Maduro, talk of annexing Greenland, threats against Colombia and Iran, and new attacks in Venezuela and the Middle East - Trump's dismissal of international law prompted alarm from scholars and diplomats. International law experts warned that his words signal a dangerous return to an era of might-makes-right, potentially encouraging other powerful states to defy legal constraints. To understand the gravity of Trump's assertion, it is necessary to explore the history of international law, the United States’ role in creating and undermining it, and the implications of a U.S. president declaring personal morality rather than law as the sole restraint on power.

WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL LAW AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?