President Donald Trump has proclaimed himself the savior of Gotham.
The president made the astonishing declaration while patting himself on the back for pulling the plug on a controversial New York City toll plan Wednesday.
“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
The White House’s official account followed up with a mock Time cover with Trump in a crown.
“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!” the account posted.
His victory lap came after his administration announced Wednesday it would “terminate” federal approval of Manhattan’s congestion pricing program, which was implemented last month to raise money for improvements to the city’s aging mass transit system.
In a letter to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy claimed the Empire State was placing an unfair burden on motorists.
“New York State’s congestion pricing plan is a slap in the face to working-class Americans and small business owners,” Duffy said in a statement. “Commuters using the highway system to enter New York City have already financed the construction and improvement of these highways through the payment of gas taxes and other taxes.”
The controversial toll, which went into effect on Jan. 5., charged drivers $9 to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street.
Both Hochul and MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber have vowed to go to court to fight any federal efforts to end the tolls.
“Today, the MTA filed papers in federal court to ensure that the highly successful program — which has already dramatically reduced congestion, bringing reduced traffic and faster travel times, while increasing speeds for buses and emergency vehicles — will continue notwithstanding this baseless effort to snatch those benefits away," Lieber said in a statement.
Hochul also slapped down Trump’s coronation attempt.
“We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king,” she said in a statement. “The MTA has initiated legal proceedings in the Southern District of New York to preserve this critical program. We’ll see you in court.”
Other critics also piled on to Trump’s concerning missive.
David Hogg, an American gun control activist and the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, pointed out the irony of the far-right’s illusion of the president.
“Republicans: Stop overreacting and calling Trump a king,” he wrote on X and then added “Literally the White House X account:” in response to the White House’s post deeming Trump “king.”
“Trump apparently just declared himself King,” Keith Olbermann, veteran sportscaster and political commentator, wrote on X. “He cannot continue anywhere near any position of authority in this nation.”
Read it at New York Post
