The impending selection of Donald Trump as Republican nominee for president has made the right-left way of describing American politics insufficient. His views on matters like property rights and libel law have introduced legal issues not usually contested during national elections to the political process, and his selective indifference to the rule of law transcends the economic and social debates that are the foundation of most modern campaigns. Arguing that Trump is “far right” or a “closet liberal” lacks not only precision but descriptiveness; a necessary level of specificity that also helps explain the qualms many conservatives still harbor about the candidate.

There is documented evidence that some of Trump’s positions prioritize his judgment over that of the law’s. He wants it to be easier for public figures like him to sue journalists for libel. His advocacy for seizing private property for his own use has been covered widely in the press. He has vowed to use executive actions—en vogue during George W. Bush’s and Barack Obama’s presidencies, and of increasing consequence over time—”much better” than the current president and for “a much better purpose than he’s done.” Trump’s explanation for why military officials would follow his command to kill the families of suspected terrorists in violation of the Geneva Convention perhaps explains his opinion of himself in the context of the law best: “I’ve always been a leader. I’ve never had any problem leading people. If I say do it, they’re going to do it.”