Fact Check: Did Trump post 'the king decides' on what counts as war crimes?
WASHINGTON, DC: An online post claimed that President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, “When I say something is legal, it’s legal,” and that “the king decides” what counts as a war crime.
The claim spread as Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth faced scrutiny over the legality of a September 2, 2025, “double tap” strike on a suspected Venezuelan drug-trafficking boat. The second strike reportedly killed survivors of an earlier attack on the same vessel, prompting a debate among lawmakers and commentators about whether the operation violated international law.
Claim: Viral screenshot showed Donald Trump declaring he decides war crimes
A Facebook user, Allan Poulsen, shared a screenshot that allegedly showed Trump posting a lengthy message on Truth Social. According to the screenshot, Trump responded to criticism by writing, “Saw Judge Andrew Napolitano on Newsmax saying Pete Hegseth and everyone under him committed 'war crimes' with the beautiful double tap on the boat. Absolute poppycock total nonsense.”
The post continued, “Just because a bunch of so-called prominent Republicans are suddenly running around using the term 'war crime' doesn't make it one,” before adding, “That’s not how this works. I’m the one who understands power, command authority, and when I say something is legal, it's legal.”
The message concluded, “Very simple. They can lecture on TV all day, but the King decides. And the King says: Not a war crime. Case closed.”
Poulsen wrote that the alleged post showed Trump openly seeing himself as a king. “He finally admitted it, seeing himself as King,” he commented. The screenshot quickly spread across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, drawing heated discussions and strong reactions.
In the comment section, one user asked, “Is THAT not enough to get rid of his crazy a$$ now?!?!” Another wrote, “He didn’t write this. It’s too coherent. But Herr Gruppenführer Miller probably did.” Others labeled the supposed post “delusional and scary.”
Fact Check: Trump did not publish the 'king decides' post on Truth Social
The Facebook post that shared the alleged screenshot received more than 1,700 reactions and 900 comments, but it was false.
No evidence showed that Trump ever published the statements attributed to him. The screenshot did not appear on X or on Truth Social, including on third-party archives that track Trump’s posts.
Several visual inconsistencies exposed the image as fabricated. The fake screenshot used Trump’s X profile photo instead of his Truth Social picture and omitted the black, white, and green Truth+ badge that identifies subscriber accounts. It copied engagement icons for comments, shares, and likes but displayed them incorrectly. It also lacked the standard line showing “ReTruths,” “Likes,” and the post’s date and time.
Due to these discrepancies and the absence of supporting records, the screenshot was determined to be false.
This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online
