For someone who insists he’s not a monarch, Donald Trump sure enjoys the trappings of one. Hours before No Kings Day protests spread across the U.S., the president brushed off comparisons to royalty on Fox Business: “This is not a king. (…) They’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king.”
Except, well…the record begs to differ! Trump’s love for absolute authority is not a new thing. Still, his latest attempt to downplay it has reignited a debate. From his declaration that “I have an Article II, where I have the right to do whatever I want as president” to his boast, “He who saves his country does not violate any law,” Donald Trump has portrayed executive power as divine. He’s even joked, “LONG LIVE THE KING!” on Truth Social earlier this year, which now reads like a manifesto.
He publicly disavows kingship, but tests every limit of constitutional restraint. Article II of the U.S. Constitution defines, and limits, the powers of the presidency. For Trump, though, it has become a tool for broad interpretation, cloaked in constitutionalism. Since returning to the White House, he has issued orders on immigration, civil rights, and federal workforce rules, leading to more than 400 active lawsuits. Yet through it, Trump frames each challenge as a partisan issue rather than a check on his authority.
Fox News pundits echo that idea and paint Democratic lawsuits as impeachment tactics rather than constitutional oversight. The problem, as legal scholars have been repeating, is that Article II offers defined powers (military, appointments with Senate consent, pardons, and the duty to ensure laws are faithfully executed) but not the freedom to override Congress or the judiciary. That’s what No Kings Day reminds us — the presidency was designed to serve, not rule the country.
Trump on the No Kings rally: “A king? This is not a king. They are referring to me as a king. I’m not a king.”
Then stop acting like one pic.twitter.com/kVDLBpcNY8
— Ron Smith (@Ronxyz00) October 17, 2025
Even as Donald Trump insists he’s no monarch, his diplomacy abroad often feels like a show of power. During a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump declined to provide Kyiv with Tomahawk cruise missiles. This move showed that he clearly wants to have a say on international war and peace. “I think we’re fairly close to that [ending the war],” he told reporters, per the BBC, and urged Ukraine and Russia to “stop where they are.” Hours later, Trump had planned to meet Vladimir Putin in Hungary!
Zelensky admitted he was “realistic” about the missiles and agreed that “we have to stop where we are.” With this, America’s ally had bent to Trump’s narrative. Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s dance with authoritarian leaders like Putin (now wrapped in “deals” and “mutual understanding”) makes his contradiction louder. He brokers power like a “king” and is accountable to only himself.
Trump’s posture is that of a populist monarch for the age of televised democracy. He rails against structures that limit him, helps those who mirror his views, and treats the Constitution as an inconvenience rather than a rule. Will Article II rein him in, or shield him? So while Donald Trump may not wear a crown, his words/actions point to a man who acts like he does!
NEXT UP: Donald Trump Slams Air Force Academy Project – Calls It a “Construction Disaster”
