The Scariest Thing Trump Has Ever Said

POTUS says he can do anything, limited only by his own morality

AI image by the author. An inscription on the wall of future WH ballroom?

When discussing morality, two words that don’t come to mind are “Donald Trump.”

President Trump, when asked by the New York Times earlier this week about his authority under international law responded, “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”

The President likely believes this deeply troubling claim and is proving it through his recent action in Venezuela and in attacking suspected drug-running boats. The estimated death tolls for both are at least 75 for Venezuela (which claims 100 deaths) and 123 from the attacks on the suspected drug boats.

The world is now wondering what Trump’s next target might be—Cuba? Greenland? Columbia? Canada? Minneapolis?

A site named Polymarket takes bets on these sorts of things. Wagers are being made, for example, suggesting that there is a 15 percent chance that the U.S. will take over Greenland by the end of the year. (If you find betting on the possibility of a war or the overthrow of a foreign leader by the U.S. nauseating, you are not alone.)

Does Trump see the same limit—his morality—on his domestic power?

Equality disturbing as Trump’s claim about his power to attack foreign countries is the likelihood that he believes the same limitation—his morality—applies to his domestic power. Remember that Trump once claimed he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue in New York and people would still love him. (Who ponders if they could shoot someone in New York and speculate about the consequences?)

Trump appears to believe that Article II of the U.S. Constitution gives him unlimited power. Trump has declared emergencies to authorize the deployment of National Guard troops in several cities. He has also declared drug smugglers as terrorists to “legitimize” the attacks. This list could go on.

Have you reviewed Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution recently: It reads in part:

he [the President] may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper;

Read this carefully—the President can adjourn the House, Senate, or both “to such Time as he may think proper.” This means that the the President can declare them to be in disagreement with himself or each other and adjourn them indefinitely.

The Framers did not seem to contemplate a situation where the President could avoid being indicted (or indicted for a third time) by adjourning the House of Representatives.

Similarly, if the Congress is indefinitely out of session—effectively abolished—the President would by default, and consistent with Donald Trump’s interpretation of Article II of the Constitution, “run” all functions of the Legislative Branch, including making appropriations, establishing taxes, and approving his own appointments to the judiciary.

Importantly, Trump may not need to adjourn Congress. He could just cancel the 2026 mid-term elections to assure that the GOP remained in control of the House and Senate. At a recent meeting of Congressional Republicans held at the Trump Kennedy Center, Trump mused about that possibility.

In recent months—actually since returning to office—Trump has repeatedly spoken and written about election fraud. Trump’s cancellation of the 2026 mid-term elections could be premised on his determination that fraud is so rampant in so many states that it is impossible for a fair election to be held. Using his emergency powers, he would suspect the election until he determined the problem was “fixed.”

What does Trump being limited only by “his own morality?”

Read what various former Trump officials and others have written about Trump here.

Also, remember that that the Washington Post has documented 30, 573 lies told by Trump during his first term in office. (I am not a betting person, but believe, if Trump completes the remainder of his second term, that he will beat that shameful record).

Also remember Trump’s history of crude comments about women, E. Jean Carroll, his affairs with Stormy Daniels and others, and his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Remember him? What is in the Epstein files and why is Trump and his administration doing their best to distract attention from them in the hopes that the issue will disappear?

America is in deep trouble. We cannot let democracy be taken away from us.

© Copyright 2026 John Dean. All rights reserved.