When a leader must immortalize themselves to gain legitimacy, it’s likely that they aren’t a leader of good character.
A few weeks ago, President Donald Trump posted a statement on the social media platform Truth Social celebrating his administration’s move to end New York City’s congestion pricing.
In his post, Trump likened himself to royalty, writing, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”
Trump’s Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, rescinded the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s ability to enforce the controversial toll intended to benefit infrastructure funding and reduce traffic across Manhattan.
The White House’s official Instagram account republished Trump’s Truth Social statement alongside an illustrated portrait of Trump in a crown, smiling, with New York City in the background. The illustration reads, in small white letters, “LONG LIVE THE KING.”
This is no run-of-the-mill fan art depiction of the president like the ones my extended family members share on Facebook. This post comes directly from the institution where the country’s leaders have led and lived with dignity, humility, failure, progress and most importantly, term limits.
The post could easily be dismissed as a lighthearted celebration of Trump’s congestion pricing ban. For the sake of our nation, I hope I am being overly critical.
However, there are other troubling signs in Washington, D.C.
Specifically, Trump’s establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has brought about immense change, confusion and concern for federal employees. Within the first two months of 2025, 62,530 federal workers were dismissed: a 41,311% increase from 2024. As the cuts continue, multiple agencies and departments are preparing to dismiss thousands of workers.
While Elon Musk serves as the figurehead for DOGE, he is not officially a DOGE employee. Instead, Musk serves as a senior advisor to President Trump, though the extent of his power is unclear.
While Musk’s role in Washington remains murky, one thing remains clear: his proximity to Trump is ever-increasing. In the past week, Musk showcased his car brand, Tesla, to President Trump at the White House. Given Musk’s status as a presidential advisor, he could be violating the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, which prohibits employees from using their government position to endorse a product.
Absolute monarchs are not subject to the rules of the commoners. Trump and Musk are seemingly not subject to the Constitution or rules for Executive Branch employees. When looking at these developments in tangent, maybe calling Trump a king isn’t far off.
Didn’t America fight a war against this?
American colonists fought the Revolutionary War in part motivated to break free from King George III’s and Great Britain’s tyrannical and monarchical rule.
When drafting the Constitution, America’s founding fathers remained committed to preventing the rise of monarchy. Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 of the Constitution declares that “No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States.” Clause 8 protects the nation from the abuse of power, needed to prevent any leader from gaining regal levels of power in the new country.
Trump has lost sight of the nation’s anti-aristocratic foundations. For a president who launched a wide-scale project focusing on the revolutionary year 1776, Trump has not put independence from monarchy at the forefront of his agenda.
Marketing matters
Although Trump’s statement alone raises concern, the most problematic – and enticing — aspect of the post is its symbolic and artistic messaging. From the warm, bright color palette to the giant golden crown on Trump’s head, the post is alluring. With Trump’s cheerful smile and the American flag pinned to his suit, viewers see a benevolent leader with the American people in mind.
The danger of the White House’s depiction of Trump as a larger-than-life hero is that it is not only anti-democratic but highly influential and believable. It checks many of the boxes of state-sponsored propaganda, which manipulates people’s beliefs, actions and attitudes through key political symbolism glorifying leaders.
Maoist and Stalinist propaganda wield similar characteristics to Trump’s post: a smiling, shining leader, a cheerful color wheel, royal imagery, larger-than-life depictions and quotes celebrating the leader’s victories. By posing front and center in a crown, Trump utilizes similar tactics, transforming himself into a cult of personality figure.
A lack of humility
In the long run, one Instagram post likely has little bearing on the future of congestion pricing in New York City. The greatest tragedy of the situation is Trump’s lack of humility towards the public and democracy.
In an effort to appear strong and mighty, Trump forgot where his power came from: his supporters.
Trump’s self-proclaimed king status should concern all Americans — but is particularly insulting to the millions who were responsible for his reelection. Instead of building a better nation on their behalf, Donald Trump built a throne. And he built a crown out of their ballots.
