President Donald Trump’s startling declaration of himself as a “king” on Wednesday grew even more concerning after his loyal band of MAGA followers quickly fell in line, according to the New Republic's Edith Olmsted.
That includes officials at the White House, who “happily” went along with the president “dropping the pretense of democracy,” Olmsted wrote. The stunning announcement came earlier in the day when Trump blared in a Truth Social post, “Long live the king,” as he announced his administration’s decision to pull approval of New York City’s congestion pricing system.
But there would be no immediate pushback from Republicans on Capitol Hill, Olmsted pointed out for readers, while noting that in 2014 it was Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) who criticized former President Barack Obama for being a “president who thinks he’s a king.”
Not long after Trump’s Wednesday post, White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich posted to his X account an AI-generated image featuring Trump wearing a jeweled crown and fur-trimmed cape.
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That was followed up by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt showing her approval by posting a red “100” emoji above Trump’s post, Olmsted noted.
“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 Wednesday by warning readers that it’s not bureaucracy within the federal government that “Americans need fear, but a monarchy.”