Trump’s “Long live the king!” Post in Philadelphia is Condemned by Jamie Gauthier in a City Council Resolution
On Thursday, Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier presented a resolution to the City Council condemning President Donald Trump, a 1968 Wharton graduate, for calling himself a king.
At the City Council meeting on February 20, Gauthier, who represents University City in Philadelphia’s third district, introduced the resolution. Trump took action in response to a Truth Social post on February 19 in which he exclaimed, “Long live the king!” in honor of the Department of Transportation’s decision to revoke its approval of New York’s congestion pricing system.
In addition, Trump’s statement and a parody of a TIME magazine cover featuring the president with a golden crown were posted on official White House social media accounts.
In a press release announcing the resolution, Gauthier stated, “A president’s words matter, but President Trump’s actions prove that he truly sees himself more like a monarch than a president.” During her speech at the City Council meeting on Thursday, Gauthier called Trump’s post “outright dangerous,” “abnormal,” and “inappropriate.”
The resolution condemned Trump for comparing himself to “a monarch” and condemned the policies of his second administration, including the Declaration of Independence’s wording and Philadelphia’s involvement in the American Revolution.
Gauthier’s office issued a statement on the resolution, saying, “As the birthplace of American democracy and the city where this nation rejected the tyranny of a king, it is paramount that Philadelphia calls out this assault on the constitution and reaffirm how abnormal, inappropriate, and dangerous it is for a President of the United States to liken himself to, and act like, a king.”
Gauthier’s speech also criticized several of the president’s actions during his first month in office, including Trump’s executive orders that pushed back federal funding and his plan to remove birthright citizenship.
“Just a month into his term, President Trump overreached his executive power on several occasions: he tried to overturn the constitutional right to birthright citizenship, shuttered federal agencies and programs enshrined into law by Congress, and declared himself above the law,” Gauthier stated in her press release.
Since taking office in January, Trump has signed several executive orders, many of which have been challenged in federal court and go beyond constitutional grounds.
During the meeting, members of the Council criticized other executive branch actions, including those of the Department of Governmental Efficiency, which is currently headed by Elon Musk, a 1997 College and Wharton graduate.
Council members criticized the agency for carrying out cuts and layoffs that will harm departments and programs across Philadelphia, especially in the preparations for the semiquincentennial—the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
“Federal cuts by DOGE will cost thousands of jobs and $200 million in funding for our city. This will impact small business, service sector jobs, and tourism, especially as we head towards our celebration of the 250 years of independence,” City Councilmember Kendra Brooks stated
“This right here is unprecedented, is unconstitutional, and unacceptable,” Brooks added.
