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President Donald Trump sparked a political firestorm on Wednesday by declaring himself a monarch in a social media post celebrating his administration’s termination of New York’s congestion pricing plan.
“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “LONG LIVE THE KING!”
The White House quickly amplified the message, posting an illustrated magazine cover on its official social media accounts, featuring Trump beaming in a suit and wearing a golden, jewel-encrusted crown. The image prominently displayed the phrase: “LONG LIVE THE KING.”
https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1892295984928993698
Trump’s post and the White House’s embrace of the imagery have fueled concerns over the president’s aggressive consolidation of power. Since beginning his second term, Trump has signed more than 60 executive orders, many of which have been challenged in court. Just this week, he directed the Department of Justice to fire “ALL remaining ‘Biden Era’ U.S. Attorneys” and issued an executive order asserting his direct legal authority over independent regulatory agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Adding to the controversy, Trump’s supporters and White House staff have leaned into the monarchical branding. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich shared an AI-generated image of Trump draped in royal robes, while pro-Trump social media accounts flooded X (formerly Twitter) with memes depicting him as a crowned ruler.
Backlash: “We Don’t Have Kings in America”
The reaction from officials across the country was swift and scathing.
“I’m here to say: New York hasn’t labored under a king in over 250 years, and we sure as hell are not going to start now,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared at a press conference. “The streets of this city, where battles were fought, we stood up to a king and we won then and we will again. New Yorkers don’t back down.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker echoed the sentiment in a post on X:
“We don’t have kings in America, and I won’t bend the knee to one.”
While some Trump loyalists online celebrated the president’s declaration, others expressed unease with the White House’s rhetoric. Even some self-identified Trump voters voiced concern over the monarchy branding, fearing it could further erode democratic norms.
A Pattern of Unusual White House Messaging
Trump’s self-coronation is the latest in a series of eyebrow-raising posts from the official White House social media accounts.
On Tuesday, the administration sparked outrage by sharing a video of detainees in handcuffs boarding a deportation flight, labeling it an “ASMR video”—a reference to the relaxing sensation triggered by soft sounds, a popular genre on social media.
Adding to the controversy, a Valentine’s Day post from the White House featured Trump and Border Czar Tom Homan on a pink heart-filled background with the poem: “Roses are red, Violets are blue, Come here illegally and we’ll deport you.”
Meanwhile, the White House has frequently posted images of Trump’s mugshot, now framed outside the Oval Office, further reinforcing his defiant posture.
As Trump continues to push the boundaries of executive power, the question remains: Is this a calculated political strategy, or a sign of a leader growing bolder in his assertion of authority? Either way, his declaration of “Long Live the King” has set off alarms, fueling debates over the future of American democracy.
