President Donald Trump insists he’s no monarch—just hours before thousands of protesters plan to remind him of that fact.
In a clip aired Friday on Mornings With Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business, the president rejected claims that the ongoing government shutdown was timed to coincide with the “No Kings” rallies scheduled for this weekend.
“No. I mean, some people say they want to delay it for that,” Trump said. “A king… this is not a king. You know, they’re saying, they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king.”
The full interview will air Sunday on Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo.
More than 2,600 “No Kings Day” protests are set to take place nationwide on Saturday. The movement, aimed at pushing back against Trump’s perceived authoritarian drift, builds on a June 14 demonstration that drew millions across all 50 states. That event coincided with Trump’s 79th birthday and an Army parade in Washington.
The president’s latest remarks are a sharp turn from his earlier royal self-styling. In February, celebrating his decision to kill New York City’s congestion pricing plan, Trump triumphantly posted on Truth Social: “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”
The White House account echoed the sentiment, posting a mock Time magazine cover depicting Trump in a crown.
The administration later moved to “terminate” federal approval for Manhattan’s congestion pricing program, which had been designed to raise funds for the city’s subway system by charging drivers $9 to enter below 60th Street.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul hit back at the move—and Trump’s grandiose rhetoric. “We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king,” she said at the time.
The president has since wavered between embracing and disowning his regal reputation. At a June press conference ahead of the last “No Kings” rally, Trump joked: “I don’t feel like a king, I have to go through hell to get stuff approved. A king would say, ‘I’m not going to get this.’”
Earlier this summer, following the death of Pope Francis, Trump also raised eyebrows when he quipped to reporters, “I’d like to be pope,” before sharing an AI-generated image of himself in papal robes.
The White House has been contacted for comment.
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