President Donald Trump on Saturday seemed to imply that he was willing to break the law in order to bring about his vision of America.
“He who saves his Country does not violate any Law,” Trump wrote in a post that was blasted to both Truth Social and X.
The cryptic post, which appears to quote a fictional version of French dictator Napoleon Bonaparte from the 1970 film Waterloo, comes as Trump’s agenda has faced pushback from the courts.
No fewer than four federal judges have blocked Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship—which is enshrined in the Constitution—with an executive order.
Earlier this week, the courts also halted, at least for now, Trump and Elon Musk’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Another of the many legal challenges to Trump’s new administration has argued that Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is unconstitutional.
However, if Trump’s post is any indication, the president isn’t willing to let the court system impede his sweeping new plan to Make America Great Again. The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Beast’s request for clarification on what the post means.
Trump’s brazen insinuation set off alarm bells for those worried about just how far the president might go in defying the law.
“Trump is not simply breaking domestic and international law—he is boasting about it openly. He no longer even pretends to hide his contempt for the Rule of Law,” British academic and commentator Rory Stewart posted on X.
Self-described Libertarian journalist Brad Polumbo called Trump’s post “actually a profoundly disturbing sentiment.”
Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres suggested that Trump’s statement was at odds with the foundation of the U.S.
“Donald Trump seems to believe he can do whatever he wishes in the name of ‘saving the country,’” the New York lawmaker wrote. “In our constitutional republic, the means matter more than the ends. The US Constitution trumps the policy preferences of President Trump.”
Similarly, journalist Billy Binion criticized the post from the standpoint of traditional conservatism.
“I know many conservatives still care about the Constitution. But it is genuinely depressing that the leader of the Republican Party is someone who is openly OK with violating the rule of law as long as it serves his political ends,” he wrote on X. “That’s… bad. I miss real conservatism.”
For some MAGA users on X, though, the post prompted cheers.
“Does anyone disagree with this?” the MAGA media account RedWave Press asked, rhetorically.
Pro-Trump influencer Nick Sortor called Trump’s post “absolutely BASED.”
Infamous Trump diehard Laura Loomer simply reshared the post to her 1.4 million followers, without offering any additional commentary of her own.
