“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”
Donald TruMP, February 19, 2025
When I launched Defy the Crown in February 2025, the “crown” was meant as an allegory—a symbol of unchecked power, whether from the left, center, or right. I never expected to hear President Trump declare himself a king—even if, as he’ll now insist, it was just a joke.
What’s more disturbing is how casually his supporters are laughing it off—dismissing the comment, rolling their eyes at any suggestion of danger, and treating it like just another of Trump’s neuron misfires that he thinks is clever.
This time, though, it’s different. The Trump administration intervened to halt New York’s congestion pricing plan—exercising federal overreach to benefit his base—and then dropped the “king” line like a closing argument. If that wasn’t enough, the White House doubled down, amplifying the monarchical imagery by posting an image of Trump adorned with a crown alongside the phrase “Long Live the King.”
This is more than just Trump being Trump. This is a deliberate flirtation with autocratic symbolism in a country founded on the rejection of monarchy.
Caesars, Kings, and Emperors: When Leaders Claim the Crown
The United States was founded in direct opposition to monarchy. Make no mistake: the Declaration of Independence wasn’t just a strongly worded complaint—it was a declaration of war. The American Revolution wasn’t a polite request for better representation—it was a violent overthrow of a king’s rule.
The Founders rejected even the appearance of kingship, recognizing that once a leader starts seeing himself as above the people, democracy is in trouble. Yet, history is filled with leaders who toyed with royal imagery on their way to consolidating power—often justifying it with promises of national greatness (again, perhaps).
1. Julius Caesar (44 BCE) – The Republic’s Last Breath
Rome’s republic lasted nearly 500 years, fiercely resisting anything resembling a monarchy. Then came Julius Caesar—who, in 44 BCE, declared himself “Dictator for Life.”
He never officially took the title of “king,” but wielded absolute power and even let Mark Antony publicly offer him a crown. At that point, the symbolic rejection of monarchy no longer mattered—Rome was already a dictatorship.
His assassination did nothing to save the Republic. Instead, it led to civil war, ending in the rise of the Roman Empire under Augustus. Rome learned the hard way: once a leader places himself above the system, democracy doesn’t just snap back into place.
2. Napoleon Bonaparte (1804) – From Republic to Empire
After the French Revolution toppled the monarchy, France became a republic. Enter Napoleon Bonaparte, who rose to power promising to protect democracy—then, in 1804, crowned himself Emperor. He didn’t even let the Pope do it. He placed the crown on his own head in an unsubtle display of, I am the State.
Napoleon justified his power grab as necessary for stability, waged war across Europe, and ultimately led France into chaos and ruin. His empire collapsed, he was exiled, and France spent decades recovering from his reign.
3. Trump (2025) – A Crown for the Taking?
Trump isn’t Caesar or Napoleon—but he knows the power of spectacle. From gold-plated elevators to Bible photo-ops, his political playbook thrives on grandiosity. And now, he’s leaning into monarchical imagery.
Like Caesar, Trump has worked to erode institutional checks on executive power, casting himself as the only true defender of the republic.
Like Napoleon, he wraps himself in grandeur, presenting himself as a historic leader destined to reshape the nation.
Like King George III, he views legal challenges and opposition as personal insults rather than necessary features of democracy.
This isn’t just about Trump. It’s about where American democracy is heading. History warns that when leaders flirt with monarchical rhetoric, it’s rarely just bluster—it’s a test. A test of whether citizens will push back or get comfortable with the idea that their leaders are above the law.
The Modern Implications of Trump’s “King” Remark
If history holds, Trump’s self-coronation may actually backfire. Public resistance to blatant power grabs has, in the past, galvanized movements against authoritarianism. The American and French Revolutions didn’t happen because rulers declared themselves kings—they happened because people refused to accept them.
The best-case scenario? This sparks a renewed commitment to democratic principles, forcing leaders of all parties to reaffirm that no one in America rules by divine right.
The worst-case scenario? We dismiss it. We shrug it off. We normalize the idea that presidents can casually float monarchy as a possibility without consequences. That’s how symbolic monarchy becomes real autocracy.
Rome thought it was immune to dictatorship. Then it got emperors for centuries.
The Republic—If We Can Keep It
Benjamin Franklin, when asked what kind of government America had created, famously responded, “A republic—if you can keep it.” Republics don’t collapse in a day. They erode. Each rhetorical step toward monarchy makes the next one easier.
Trump’s “king” remark is not dangerous because he suddenly transformed into a monarch overnight.
It’s dangerous because it tests the waters—to see if Americans will accept a leader who believes himself above the law.
The real question isn’t whether Trump thinks he’s a king.
It’s whether the American people will act as subjects—or as citizens.