America was founded on the belief that a government ought to operate under the will of its people, that rights are not to be infringed upon, and that the monarchy ought to come to an end. Donald Trump has begun to trend in the opposite direction. Many voted him into office because of his zero-tolerance immigration policy or his promise to lower consumer prices. Historically, the United States has been a beacon of democracy: a country that prides itself on the global defense of elections and fairness. However, because of a shift in this paradigm, previous voters have become worried about his declaration to “LONG LIVE THE KING.”
An exhaustive list of policies passed in a lightning-fast manner through the executive order privileges bestowed to President Trump. The order associated with his declaration of royalty was that of congestion pricing: a method of carbon emission reduction that charges large emitters for their emissions. The policy had taken root in Manhattan before the election, and one of the campaign issues Trump decided to run on was eradicating overbearing (in the eyes of his voters) state policies. New York’s congestion pricing was at the top of the list, and his promise to end it was fulfilled.
Following his crackdown on Manhattan congestion pricing, like many of his other actions, he broadcasted via his social media platform Truth Social that he had done good on his promise to eliminate the state policy. Following the message, he commanded his followers to “LONG LIVE THE KING.” Even before this proclamation of royalty, developments on the constitutional end of the United States were trending in a monarchistic direction. Before the 2024 Presidential election, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that any crime committed during a president’s term would not have the capacity to be prosecuted or tried. Led by Chief Justice Roberts, the argument was a strict pivot from a previously institution-based conservative platform, one that argued for a democracy with checks and balances on the federal government. These constitutional developments have partially shaped Trump’s current term.
The most notable actions of the Executive Branch have been the swift passage of executive orders, which have gone unchecked by the legislative branch. The ruling Republican majorities in both houses have curbed the ability of Democrats to attempt checks on the President’s power, indicating that internal checks and balances have failed due to a Republican majority in all three branches of government.
Democrats quite clearly view the current developments of the American government as frightening. Justice Sotomayor, a staunch opponent of the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity, warned in a dissent.
“The president is now a king above the law,” Sotomayor said. “With fear for our democracy, I dissent.”
Many Democrats in the House and Senate have criticized their Republican counterparts, encouraging them to obtain more courage and stand up to the authority of the executive branch.
While newspapers, citizens, and politicians alike have all generated a deafening buzz concerning Trump’s actions in the executive branch, it seems he is aware of the criticism. However, he has repeatedly floated the idea of a third term. During a recent event at the White House, the president asked his audience whether or not he should run for a third term. The audience (which consisted largely of Republican politicians and lawmakers) erupted in applause at the prospect. Of course, a third term would represent a devastating blow to the constitution of the United States. Franklin Delanor Roosevelt specifically outlined that any president would be allotted two terms (if elected) and none further. Even so, Trump has stated that “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law,” a concerning remark that brings into question the intentions of Trump in years to come, as well as the power of the federal government to restrict the authority of the executive branch.
The Founding Fathers of the United States despised the monarchy that the colonies originated from, and America to this point has served as an example of the power of democracy. Trump’s recent statements spark fear in the hearts of constitutionalists, institutionalists, and those who treasure the democracy that has taken hundreds of years to build.
Hopefully, Trump and his cabinet realize that a deviation from a history of democracy would send our country into a spiral; one that is not easily reversed.
