Has Donald Trump publicly described himself as a king or monarch?
Executive summary
Donald Trump has publicly referred to himself using monarchical language — most notably posting “LONG LIVE THE KING!” in connection with rescinding New York City’s congestion-pricing program, and the White House amplified that rhetoric with an image showing him wearing a crown [1] [2]. Multiple news outlets documented the post and the ensuing backlash from state officials and commentators, while academics and opinion writers have interpreted his rhetoric and actions as reflecting a monarch-like view of presidential power [1] [2] [3].
1. The specific instance: “LONG LIVE THE KING!” on social media and White House amplification
The clearest, documented instance of Trump using explicitly monarchical phrasing occurred after the federal government moved to block New York’s congestion-pricing program, when Trump wrote on social media “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!” and the White House subsequently posted an edited Time‑style cover showing him wearing a crown — coverage that was reported by The Guardian and People and circulated widely in February 2025 [1] [2].
2. Immediate political backlash and responses from officials
New York Governor Kathy Hochul publicly condemned the remark and emphasized constitutional limits — “We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king” — while local officials and commentators slammed both the rhetoric and the administration’s action on congestion pricing, a pattern documented across reporting in The Guardian, People and other outlets [1] [2]. The post triggered pushback that framed the comment as an affront to democratic norms [1].
3. Repetition and broader usage in media narratives
News outlets and commentators have repeatedly noted that Trump’s rhetoric and symbolic gestures reflect a tendency to cast himself in grandiose, quasi-royal terms; MSNBC and other outlets reported on Trump referring to himself as “king” or a “monarch” in similar contexts, and fact-based magazines and organizations documented White House social media that visually underlined that theme [4] [2]. These reports document multiple episodes where Trump used language or imagery that media characterized as self-monarchical [4] [2].
4. Scholarly and analytical framing: “king-like” behavior versus literal claim
Academic and opinion pieces have argued that even when not literally seeking a crown, Trump’s actions and rhetoric are consistent with attempts to aggrandize presidential power — scholars at The Conversation and University of Portsmouth framed his approach as tending toward “absolutism” or “king-like” control over the executive branch, situating his language in a wider pattern of executive-consolidating policies [3] [5]. Those are interpretive judgments grounded in analysis of policy, rhetoric and institutional changes rather than claims that he has formally declared a monarchy [3] [5].
5. Distinguishing documented statements from dubious or satirical claims
Not every website claiming Trump declared himself “King of America” is presenting solid reporting; for example, a post on Brock Press asserted an official announcement that Trump named himself king and described a coronation, a claim that reads as sensational and is not corroborated by mainstream outlets cited here [6]. Reliable reporting centers on the documented social‑media post and White House imagery, and on informed commentary that places those acts in broader political context [2] [1].
6. Bottom line: public self-description versus interpretive claims
Factually, Trump has publicly used the phrase “LONG LIVE THE KING!” about himself and the White House promoted crown imagery, which constitutes a clear instance of him describing himself in monarchical terms in public [1] [2]. Broader assertions that he “sees himself as a king” are supported by academic and journalistic interpretation of his rhetoric and policy moves but are analytic conclusions rather than additional direct self‑proclamations [3] [5].