Trump sparks outrage as he crowns himself king after 'saving' NYC from congestion pricing

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Donald Trump has never been shy about his love for all things gold, grand, and downright regal. From his "yuge" rallies and military parades to opulent inaugural balls, the 47th President has long flirted with the aesthetics of royalty.

But on Wednesday, February 19, he took things to another level when he crowned himself after torpedoing New York City’s congestion pricing program.

Did Donald Trump declare himself 'King'?

In a triumphant post on Truth Social, Donald Trump declared himself monarch while celebrating the death of congestion pricing—a program that would have charged drivers $9 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street.

"CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED," Trump gushed and added, "LONG LIVE THE KING!"

And just in case the message wasn’t clear enough, the White House doubled down by posting an illustration of Trump wearing a crown across Instagram and X. The image mimicked a Time magazine cover, only this one was cheekily rebranded as Trump.

If there’s one thing Trump hasn't been afraid of, it’s pushing the limits of presidential power. His second term has already seen him handing down executive orders like royal decrees, firing officials, steamrolling federal agencies, and even freezing funds that Congress had already allocated, the New York Times reported.

Last week, he wrote on social media: "He who saves his Country does not violate any Law."

That line does sound like a bootleg Napoleon Bonaparte quote, but the origins of the phrase aren’t exactly clear. Regardless, Trump appears to believe that if he’s saving the country, then whatever he does is justified.

Donald Trump’s war on congestion pricing

Donald Trump made it his mission to bury the NYC toll plan from the get-go, calling it a disaster in the making. In an interview with the New York Post, he slammed the toll as “destructive” to the city and vowed to kill it the moment he stepped back into office.

"If I decide to do it, I will be able to kill it off in Washington through the Department of Transportation," he promised.

And that’s exactly what happened.

On Wednesday, Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy carried out the president’s wishes—sending a letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul. In it, he outlined Trump’s objections and let her know that federal officials would be reaching out to discuss “the orderly cessation of toll operations.”

"I share the president’s concerns about the impacts to working-class Americans who now have an additional financial burden to account for in their daily lives," Duffy wrote.

Outrage over Donald Trump's latest power move

As you can imagine, not everyone is thrilled about Donald Trump’s latest flex.

Governor Hochul, for one, did not appreciate Trump’s self-coronation. She wasted no time clapping back, insisting that America is not a monarchy.

"We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king," Hochul declared in her official statement. “The MTA has initiated legal proceedings in the Southern District of New York to preserve this critical program. We’ll see you in court,” she stated.

Hochul wasn’t the only government official with something to say. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker jumped into the fray.

"My oath is to the Constitution of our state and our nation," Pritzker wrote and continued, "We don’t have kings in America, and I won’t bend the knee to one."

Other critics of Trump were also left fuming on social media.

"He is NOT the king!" one posted on X.

"Trump is NO king whatsoever, maybe a big ugly wannabe dictator/tyrant," another chimed in.

"I thought that we lived in a Democracy, not a Monarchy," read a comment.

"Isn’t the whole point of America even existing to not have a monarch?" someone else wondered.

"This is actually so insane......... get me tf outa here," another added.

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.