Here’s a Google News search for the phrase “he who saves his country does not violate any laws. Trump’s posting this both on Truth Social and X has set off a media tsunami.
This article in Mediaite includes screehshots of some of the social media reactions to Trump’s post.
Here are two of them:
It is instructive to read the Wikipedia page for the phrase, which has just been updated to include Trump’s post, says about it.
"He who saves his country, violates no law" (or "He who saves his country does not violate any law") is a quote attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte,[1][2] often interpreted as a justification for extraordinary actions in times of national crisis. The phrase has been cited in various political and ideological contexts to defend or rationalize actions perceived as outside legal or ethical norms but claimed to be in the service of national salvation. It sometimes serves to justify the erosion of legal norms in pursuit of nationalist goals. It was notably used by Norwegian terrorist Anders Behring Breivik as justification for the 2011 Norway attacks,[3] as well as by President Donald Trump in apparent response to accusations that he is bypassing the United States government's checks and balances on the executive branch's power.
Attribution and meaning
The quote is attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte,[1] though there is no definitive source confirming its exact origin in his writings or speeches. As Celui qui sauve sa patrie ne viole aucune loi, it appears in Maximes et Pensées de Napoléon, a collection compiled by Honoré de Balzac and published under the name of J.-L. Gaudy in an attempt to gain the Légion d'Honneur for Gaudy, but Balzac gives no source.[4][5]
The sentiment expressed aligns with Napoleon’s belief in strong, decisive leadership and his view that the needs of the state could sometimes supersede legal constraints. The phrase suggests that actions taken to protect or preserve a nation are inherently justified, even if they contravene established laws.
This idea resonates with realpolitik, a political philosophy emphasizing pragmatism and national interest over strict adherence to legal or moral codes. However, such justifications have been widely criticized for providing a pretext for authoritarianism, allowing leaders to bypass democratic institutions under the guise of protecting the nation. This rationale has historically been employed by fascist regimes, including Mussolini’s Italy and Hitler’s Germany, where legal structures were undermined in the name of national salvation. The phrase has also been described as aligned with Vladimir Putin's thinking and governance style.[6]
Trump posting this in Truth Social and X is not only all over the national news, people around the world are reading about it. If India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, who just met with Trump, is back home he may be reading about it in “India Today.”
I have no doubt that Putin is following the story. It’s in the English edition of Pravda.
I doubt Trump came up with the the idea of using the quote by himself. Whoever gave him the idea of posting it probably didn’t have to explain what it meant since it is straightforward. He thinks he is above the law because he is a dictator. The marketer Trump, once he was told it was a famous Napoleon quote, knew he could use it to sell the idea that he can do anything he wants to do as long as he says it is saving the country.
He’s already ranted about what and who he is saving the country from. The list is long and includes evil immigrants, woke, DEI, forced childhood gender change surgery, and drag shows.
I’m waiting for him to compare himself to our most famous law breaker, George Washington. He broke uncountable Britsh laws.
There’s no chance Trump’s cult will float the idea of putting an image of Trump on the dollar bill. However there are two other denominations which could be changed.
I see Trump’s cult making a case for Andrew Jackson or Ulysses S. Grant being replaced. About Jackson, from Wikipedia: “He has been praised as an advocate for working Americans and preserving the union of states, and criticized for his racist policies, particularly towards Native Americans. His political philosophy became the basis for the Democratic Party.” Many people living in the former Confederacy might applaud Grant being replaced by Trump on the $50 bill. This would just be symbolic. Far more people use the $20 so Trump would rather be on that bill.
I think the $10 bill, with Hamilton on it, would be in jeopardy were it not for him being made more famous than he already was because of the hit musical.
Trump has already proposed getting rid of the penny. He’s getting some resistance for this from the copper industry. He might consider reissuing the $2.00 bill, which never became popular, with his face on it. Non-legal tender versions are already available.
I think that if he did this, many more people would be using it than ever did with the current version. Thomas Jefferson was a worthy patriot to honor on the bill, but he was the principal author of that pesky Declaration of Independenc, so maybe Trump would like to symbolically recognized as surpassing Jefferson as a patriot.
