"Hail To Donald! "Trump Declares Himself King of The Nation and People's Head R Spinning

   People are reacting strongly online to Donald Trump’s latest declaration that he is “the king” in a nation whose foundational story is that of overthrowing a king in favor of democracy. His declaration comes shortly after he issued an executive order saying that he – not the Judicial Branch – has the final authority in determining what laws mean and his statement over the weekend that everything he does is legal because he is trying to “save” the country.

“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to how his Department of Transportation is challenging New York City’s congestion pricing, where the city charges a toll to enter Manhattan by car south of 60th Street. Trump is against the toll.  

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The official White House X account reposted his words with a picture of Trump wearing a crown. 

 

This statement comes just days after Trump signed an executive order giving himself the power over independent agencies that were created to be shielded from White House control. The order says that only the president and the attorney general – who is a presidential appointee – “shall provide authoritative interpretations of the law for the executive branch.”

Under the Constitution, the Executive Branch is supposed to ensure that laws passed by Congress are “faithfully executed,” and it’s the responsibility of the Judicial Branch to interpret the law. Trump has already shown that he is willing to “interpret” the law in ways that contradict the letter of the law, rendering Congress impotent because he could just interpret whatever laws Congress passes to mean whatever he wants.

Keeping the power to interpret the law with the judiciary is key to protecting LGBTQ+ rights as the Trump administration attacks them on multiple fronts. LGBTQ+ organizations have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration over its anti-trans executive orders: they argue that the executive orders violate both Congress’ laws and the Constitution. If Trump ignores the courts and interprets the law himself, an important safeguard for people’s rights will be lost.

Over the weekend, Trump appeared to say that it would be impossible for him to break the law because he is trying to “save” the country.

“He who saves his Country does not violate any Law,” Trump posted to social media. The quote is often attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte. Bonaparte declared himself emperor and ruled France as a dictator from 1804 to 1815.

On X, people reacted negatively to the White House’s declaration that Trump is king.