Former President Trump has expressed his opposition to New York City's congestion pricing program, celebrating its demise through a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. In this post, he referred to himself as a king, stating, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”
The White House amplified this message, sharing an illustration on social media depicting Trump wearing a crown on a magazine cover styled after Time magazine.
Trump has been a vocal critic of the congestion pricing initiative, which imposes a $9 charge on most drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street. He has argued that the program would negatively impact the city’s economy and pledged to abolish it upon returning to office. In a recent interview, he described the toll as “destructive” to New York.
During the interview, Trump stated, “If I decide to do it, I will be able to kill it off in Washington through the Department of Transportation.” On Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acted on Trump’s directives, outlining the president's objections in a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul and indicating that federal officials would engage with the state to discuss ending the toll operations.
Duffy expressed shared concerns regarding the implications of congestion pricing on working-class Americans, noting the additional financial burden it would impose on their daily lives.
Trump's initial month back in the White House has been marked by assertions of significant authority, including references to a near-assassination attempt during his Inaugural Address, which he claimed was an act of divine intervention to help “make America great again.” He has also issued numerous executive orders, asserting that his actions do not violate any laws if they are intended to benefit the country.
In response to Trump’s self-comparison to a monarch, Governor Hochul has pushed back, emphasizing that the nation operates under laws rather than the rule of an individual. She noted that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (M.T.A.) is pursuing legal action in the Southern District of New York to protect the congestion pricing program, stating, “We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king. We’ll see you in court.”