Social media users criticized a cryptic post from President Donald Trump which read, "He who saves his Country does not violate any Law."
The quote is widely attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, the French leader who seized power in a coup and later declared himself Emperor. Many saw the remark as an authoritarian justification for bypassing legal constraints.
"This is crazy talk," one user wrote in response. Others compared Trump's statement to quotes from Hitler, Mussolini and Franco, noting its historical parallels to fascist rhetoric.
Political commentator Brian Krassenstein posted a thread listing dictatorial leaders who echoed similar sentiments about being above the law.
WOW!
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) February 15, 2025
- Hitler – "The authority of the Führer is not limited by laws or statutes."
- Mussolini – "Everything within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state."
- Francisco Franco – "I am responsible only to God and to history."
Meanwhile, another user quipped, "Might want to run that past some lawyers, champ. NOT Giuliani." Referencing Trump's past legal battles, one user said "Hilarious coming from a 34-time felon."
Some critics took Trump's words as an outright admission of dictatorial ambitions, with one tweet bluntly stating: "Translation: I want to be a dictator." Another user referenced Napoleon's fate, suggesting, "Maybe we should consider an island exile for Trump too."
A steady stream of executive orders issued by Trump since he entered office four weeks ago—combined with drastic, indiscriminate gutting of government institutions—has garnered criticism regarding the legality of several orders, which have sidestepped congressional approval.
As lawsuits contesting a myriad of the administration's actions accrue, Vice President JD Vance publicly claimed "judges aren't allowed to control the executive's legitimate power," sparking widespread concern over a potential constitutional crisis should the Trump administration continue to disavow constitutional checks and balances on executive power.
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