The Trump White House is taking a victory lap after crushing New York’s infamous congestion pricing scheme, and the left is losing its mind over one viral image. The official White House X account dropped an AI-generated Time magazine cover featuring Trump styled as a king, with the caption: “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”
"CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!"
–President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/IMr4tq0sMB— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 19, 2025
Trump’s move to kill NYC’s cash-grab congestion tax sent Democrats into full-blown hysteria, with critics screeching about authoritarianism and power grabs. New York Governor Kathy Hochul fumed, claiming: “Donald Trump isn’t a ‘king,’ and we won’t let him use New Yorkers as roadkill on his revenge tour. We’ll see him in court.” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker took his own swing, declaring: “We don’t have kings in America, and I won’t bend the knee to one.” Left-wing commentator Brian Allen clutched his pearls: “A full-blown power grab wrapped in authoritarian cosplay. The courts exist for a reason, but Trump is out here acting like a king with a Sharpie.”
While Democrats cry about a meme, Trump is delivering real results. New York’s congestion pricing scheme was set to gouge drivers up to $23 per day just to enter Manhattan, a move that punished working-class Americans while lining the pockets of the MTA. Even New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, thanked Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy for stopping the madness, admitting the plan was a money grab at New Jerseyans’ expense.
The rage over “King Trump” isn’t really about a meme—it’s about Trump’s ability to actually wield power effectively. For years, Republican presidents have been too afraid to take bold action against the administrative state. Trump isn’t afraid, and that terrifies the left.
New York will fight Trump’s decision in court, but with Trump’s new Supreme Court majority, don’t expect Hochul’s lawsuit to go far. Meanwhile, expect the left to keep screeching about “King Trump” while everyday Americans enjoy fewer taxes, fewer regulations, and fewer bureaucratic nightmares.