WASHINGTON — Drawing inspiration from France’s Napoleon Bonaparte, U.S. President Donald Trump took to social media on Saturday to reaffirm his resistance to limits on his executive authority amid ongoing legal challenges.
“He who saves his country does not violate any law,” Trump, a Republican, declared on his Truth Social platform. The White House did not provide further details when asked for comment.
The quote, attributed to Napoleon—the French military leader who introduced the Napoleonic Code in 1804 before declaring himself emperor—quickly sparked criticism from Democrats.
“Spoken like a true dictator,” wrote Senator Adam Schiff of California, a longtime Trump critic, on X.
Since taking office on January 20, Trump has made sweeping claims about executive power, setting the stage for potential Supreme Court battles. Some lawsuits accuse him of overstepping Congress’s constitutional authority.
While Trump has stated that he respects court rulings, his advisers have frequently attacked judges on social media, with some even calling for their impeachment. Vice President JD Vance recently wrote on X that judges “aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”
Washington lawyer Norm Eisen, who was involved in Trump’s first impeachment trial, noted that Trump’s legal team has often argued that presidential actions cannot be deemed illegal. He criticized Trump’s use of Napoleon’s words, suggesting they serve as an excuse for unlawful behavior.
“This is a trial balloon and a provocation,” Eisen said of Trump’s statement.
Trump, whose signature slogan remains “Make America Great Again,” has attributed his survival of an assassination attempt in July to divine intervention.
“Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason—to save our country and restore America to greatness,” he said after his election victory.
