Donald Trump referred to himself as “king” in response to his administration's efforts to eliminate new tolls for Manhattan drivers aimed at funding the city's aging mass transit system.
On February 19, Trump declared on Truth Social, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”
White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich also circulated an AI-generated image of Trump adorned with a crown and regal cape.
In a letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expressed the president's opposition to the congestion pricing initiative, asserting that federal discussions would focus on the “orderly cessation of toll operations.”
Duffy criticized the program as “backwards and unfair,” labeling it a “slap in the face to working-class Americans and small business owners.”
Hochul countered, emphasizing the importance of public transit to New York City's economy and highlighting the program's success in reducing vehicle congestion.
She firmly stated, “We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king,” and indicated that the matter would be settled in court.
In a separate press briefing, Hochul reinforced her stance, declaring, “New York hasn’t labored under a king in over 250 years. We sure as hell are not going to start now … In case you don’t know New Yorkers, we’re going to fight. We do not back down, not now, not ever.”
Justin Brannan, a council member in New York City, criticized Trump's remarks and highlighted the actions of the Trump-appointed Justice Department, which instructed prosecutors to dismiss the federal corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams.
Brannan emphasized that regardless of opinions on congestion pricing, the federal government lacks the authority to make such decisions, as New York State has enacted a law that the USDOT has approved.
He asserted that Trump does not hold absolute power and that yielding to perceived authority is misguided.
Similarly, Virginia Democratic Representative Don Beyer stated on X that the United States does not have kings, while David Hogg, vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee, urged Republicans to refrain from labeling Trump as a king, sharing a satirical image of Trump with a crown.
Trump's comments came after he claimed that saving the country does not equate to breaking the law, a sentiment echoed by White House accounts.
On February 18, the president issued an executive order consolidating power over independent agencies, undermining their ability to oppose him.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York subsequently filed a lawsuit against Duffy and federal transportation officials, alleging that the Trump administration unlawfully terminated a program for political reasons, as Trump had promised during his campaign.
The MTA's legal representatives contended that the Administration's attempts to unilaterally and summarily overturn the well-considered decisions made by federal, state, and city political entities are illegal, urging the Court to declare these actions null and void.
"Should the court permit Trump to act on his threats, the MTA would lose over $15 billion earmarked for essential upgrades to the city's mass transit system, which serves more than 3.6 million subway riders and 1.4 million bus passengers daily.
MTA chair and CEO Janno Lieber expressed confusion over the Transportation Department's decision to reverse its stance just three months after granting final approval, following four years and 4,000 pages of federally-supervised environmental review.