After President Donald Trump's Transportation Department (DOT) killed New York City's congestion pricing, the official White House X account posted a mock magazine cover of Trump with a crown, saying "Long Live The King."
Earlier, DOT released a letter from Secretary Sean Duffy stating it had been sent to New York Governor Kathy Hochul regarding the decision to "terminate" approval of the congestion pricing program, which was originally granted on November 21 under the Biden administration.
Duffy argued that the congestion pricing program exceeds the scope of approval for a "Value Pricing Pilot Program" authorized by Congress, partly because it appears to be "driven primarily by the need to raise revenue for the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) system as opposed to the need to reduce congestion."
Duffy also stated that his department would collaborate with New York state officials to "discuss the orderly cessation of toll operations under this terminated pilot project." It remains unclear when the termination would take effect if the federal government successfully halts congestion pricing.
In the wake of this news, Trump posted the following message to Truth Social in which he congratulated and hailed himself as "a king":
"CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!"
You can see his post below.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
Hochul responded minutes later with a post asserting "We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king" and included the following statement vowing to see the Trump administration in court:
"Public transit is the lifeblood of New York City and critical to our economic future -- as a New Yorker, like President Trump, knows very well. Since this first-in-the-nation program took effect last month, congestion has dropped dramatically and commuters are getting to work faster than ever."
"Broadway shows are selling out and foot traffic to local businesses is spiking. School buses are getting kids to class on time, and yellow cab trips increased by 10%. Transit ridership is up, drivers are having a better experience, and support for this program is growing every day."
"We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king. The MTA has initiated legal proceedings in the Southern District of New York to preserve this critical program. We'll see you in court."
You can see her post below.
The official X account for the White House then included Trump's declaration in a post of its own that was accompanied by a meme in the style of Time magazine that shows Trump with a crown atop his head and the caption:
"LONG LIVE THE KING"
You can see it below.
@WhiteHouse/X
Many online condemned the White House's post.
The MTA announced Wednesday that it is filing court papers to ensure the congestion pricing program remains in place. MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber called the Trump administration’s decision to revoke approval "mystifying," emphasizing that the program has been a success.
The Riders Alliance also vowed to fight for congestion pricing, stating that it had "organized for a decade, held two governors accountable, and prevailed in court in three states after years of exhaustive environmental studies."
The group affirmed its commitment, declaring that it remains "committed to maintaining and expanding on our victory and will defend it with everything we have."
@FrankC164/X
AMC
