President Donald Trump’s self-declaration as a “king” on Wednesday raised concerns as his loyal MAGA followers and White House officials quickly embraced the statement, according to The New Republic’s Edith Olmsted.
Among those showing support were officials at the White House, who “happily” accepted the president “dropping the pretense of democracy,” Olmsted wrote. The declaration came when Trump proclaimed on Truth Social, “Long live the king,” while announcing his administration’s decision to revoke approval for New York City’s congestion pricing system.
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Olmsted pointed out that there was no immediate pushback from Republicans in Congress. She also noted that in 2014, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) criticized former President Barack Obama for acting like “a president who thinks he’s a king.”
Shortly after Trump’s statement, White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich shared an AI-generated image of Trump donning a jeweled crown and fur-trimmed cape on his X account. Following that, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt endorsed Trump’s message by posting a red “100” emoji above his Truth Social post, further reinforcing the sentiment.
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“Republicans’ sycophantic support demonstrates that Trump’s autocratic (or monarchic) ranting isn’t merely him going rogue; it’s a distinct rhetorical feature of his entire administration, which has already set to work uprooting the checks and balances that underpin American democracy, and replacing it with something wholly different,” Olmsted wrote. She concluded her piece by warning readers that it’s not government bureaucracy that “Americans need fear, but a monarchy.”
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