13 Ways Trump Is Turning the Presidency Into a Monarchy

Trump’s turning Flag Day into a personal parade. Here’s why June 14 should belong to the people, not the monarchy he’s trying to build.

On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress created the U.S. Army to fight back against a British monarch who believed power should be inherited, not earned. This was the first step in the American revolution against tyranny and the royal system. Our founders believed that no one should rule by divine right. And yet here we are, 250 years later, watching our current president throw himself a birthday procession, complete with tanks, military fanfare and all the hallmarks of an aspiring king.

I’ve been watching images of tanks rolling into Washington D.C and they inspired me to create a list of things that he has done that are rather king-like.

This Saturday, June 14, there are also going to be protests in all 50 states under the headline of No Kings Day. This national day of protest against authoritarianism and the cult of personality politics that Trump embodies has taken on new meaning with the escalation happening in California right now (see my explainer, here).

The organizers have made a deliberate decision not to protest in D.C. They don’t want to allow Trump to twist peaceful dissent into an attack on the military. Instead, the focus is on amplifying the voices of communities directly impacted by his policies instead of getting drawn into his manufactured spectacle.

June 14th is also Flag Day, a perfect moment to reclaim the American flag as a symbol of democracy, not demagoguery. Patriotism doesn’t belong to conservatives alone.

→ At the bottom of this I’ve included some links for my fave flag sweaters because we need to reclaim the banner of patriotism.

So let’s dig into Trump’s king-like behavior. We could talk all day about the absurdity of it all, the gold-plated everything, the military parades, his public feuds, and theatrical photo ops. Some of it feels straight out of a mockumentary. But that’s what makes it so easy for critics to dismiss our current president as unserious, a punchline rather than a threat. That’s the danger.

The pageantry and chaos can often serve as a distraction that encourages a lot of people all over the world to view his movement as entertainment rather than the authoritarian project it truly is. By the time the audience realizes the stakes, the show has rewritten the rules.

So let’s spell it out, here are some of the many ways Trump has behaved like a king:

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1. He Tried to Stay in Power After Losing

Trump refused to concede the 2020 election, pressured state officials to overturn results, and inspired an insurrection on January 6. Presidents accept voter decisions, that’s democracy. Kings have long believed that power is theirs by divine right.

2. He Literally Floated Being “President for Life”

At a closed-door fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago in March 2018, Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for abolishing term limits, saying: “He’s now president for life. And look, he was able to do that. I think it’s great. Maybe we’ll have to give that a shot someday.”

In February 2025, the White House also posted a computer-generated image of Trump wearing a crown and declaring "Long live the king!" Steve Banon, a chief architect of Trump’s political machine, is pushing the idea that he can run for a third term.

Getty Images

3. He’s Turning the White House Into the New Versailles

Trump has dramatically transformed the White House, especially the Oval Office, with extravagant, gold-heavy décor reminiscent of European royal palaces, most notably Versailles, the home of France’s “Sun King,” Louis XIV. Trump flew in his “gold specialist” from Mar-a-Lago, cabinetmaker John Icart, on Air Force One to oversee the addition of custom gold finishes throughout the Oval Office. Trump personally supervised the placement of these gold embellishments.

White House branding often refers to this second Trump administration as the “Golden Age.”

4. He Called the Constitution “Phony”

In 2019 Trump rejected suggestions that hosting the G-7 summit of world leaders at one of his resorts would have violated the U.S. Constitution. “You people with this phony Emoluments clause,” he said.

And in 2022 he announced on Truth Social that parts of the Constitution should be terminated due his belief that the election was stolen from him. “A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,” he wrote. “Our great ‘Founders’ did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!”

In his second term his Administration has taken a number of clearly anti-constitutional stances, including ending birthright citizenship, ignoring habeas corpus and instituting tariffs.

This mirrors the absolutist doctrine that the ruler’s word is law, similar to King James I of England’s belief that kings are the creators of law, not subject to it.

5. He Pardons His Loyalists Like Royal Favorites

From Michael Flynn to Roger Stone to Paul Manafort, Charles Kushner and Steve Bannon, Trump has used the presidential pardon as a reward system for allies, campaign donors and insurrectionists.

In a constitutional democracy, the pardon power is meant to be used sparingly, to correct injustices, offer mercy, or foster national healing. But Trump used it the way kings used royal favor - to reward personal loyalty and protect insiders from the law.

Historically, monarchs handed out royal pardons as part of a political reward system. Nobles who supported the king, even those who committed crimes, were often shielded from consequences. This wasn’t about rule of law. It was about preserving power by protecting your people.

6. He Appoints Family to Government Roles

Nepotism is a hallmark of monarchy. Trump has given senior advisory roles to Ivanka and Jared Kushner, neither of whom were elected or confirmed. In December 2024, Trump announced that Massad Boulos, his daughter Tiffany Trump's father-in-law, would serve as a senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. He appointed Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law as Ambassador of France.

7. He Demands Loyalty and Regularly Appoints Loyalists Over More Qualified People

Trump has consistently prioritized personal loyalty over expertise in government appointments, often choosing individuals based on their devotion to him rather than their qualifications. This includes nominating people to key offices who are distinguished more by their personal relationships with Trump than by relevant experience, and who are willing to use state power to punish his opponents and reward his allies

In the newly-launched “patriotic hiring plan” the Trump Administration is forcing civil service applicants to federal jobs to pen an essay about their loyalty to the ideology of the Trump Administration. While Trump has vowed to eviscerate the “deep state” he is simultaneously seeking to create one that will execute his whims.

8. He Disregards and Vilifies the Press

Trump has repeatedly called the press the “enemy of the people,” a phrase historically used by authoritarian leaders to delegitimize independent media and silence dissent. This could be compared to how King Charles X of France really wasn’t a fan of the press either. In 1827, he brought back censorship and made it a lot harder for publishers to operate by slapping them with heavy financial requirements. Basically, if you ran a paper that said something even vaguely critical of the monarchy, you could be fined or worse. Things only got more extreme in 1830, when Charles issued a set of harsh ordinances that shut down press freedom altogether.

9. He Wants to Weaponize the Powers of the Presidency to Punish Opponents

Since 2022, Trump has repeatedly threatened to investigate, prosecute, jail, or otherwise punish a wide array of opponents, including former presidents, members of Congress, law enforcement officials, private citizens, and business leaders.

Over 100 perceived enemies have been targeted through these means, including prominent Democratic politicians, news organizations, and even members of the judiciary.

Monarchs throughout history have routinely used state power to punish rivals and consolidate authority. Notable examples include how King Henry VIII of England used the state to execute or imprison political rivals and dissenters, including Thomas More and Anne Boleyn, often on charges of treason or heresy and how Louis XIV of France employed lettres de cachet (royal orders) to imprison or exile critics and rivals without trial, using the machinery of the state to eliminate opposition.

10. He Constantly Blurs the Line Between Personal and State Interests

Trump has refused to fully divest from his business empire, allowing his family to continue running the Trump Organization while he is in office. This blending of personal and public interests is a hallmark of monarchies and kleptocracies. During his first term his business made $2.4 billion, and in his second term the crypto projects alone are making him millions upon millions of dollars.

In democracies, presidents divest. In monarchies, the royal family profits.

11. He Wants to Severely Restrict Voting Rights

Donald Trump and his allies have spent years trying to limit who can vote and how easily they can do it, especially in ways that hurt young people, people of color, and poor Americans. These efforts are designed to entrench minority rule, not reflect the will of the people. That’s not democratic. It’s monarchic.

Republicans have tried to toss out votes, (unsuccesfully) pushed independent state legislature theory, are trying to pass the SAVE Act which would make registration harder and most recently they are pushing Texas to redistrict to add 4-5 seats to the House and save Republicans in midterms.

12. He Now Has Criminal Immunity Thanks to the Supreme Court

The stacked Supreme Court gave Donald Trump broad criminal liability protection for anything he does as part of his official job. This means that if a president uses their official powers, even for something that might be illegal or harmful, they usually can’t be charged with a crime for those actions.

This kind of legal shield is similar to what kings and monarchs had in the past, known as “sovereign immunity.” Back then, kings were considered above the law: they couldn’t be put on trial or punished for their actions, simply because they were the ruler.

13. He Consolidated Control Over Independent Agencies

Independent agencies are designed to operate outside direct presidential control. To serve the public, not the president. Trump repeatedly tried to undermine, co-opt, or directly take over these institutions to serve his personal and political agenda. That’s not how a democracy works. That’s how a monarch behaves.

Trump issued an Executive Order requiring independent agencies (the FEC, FCC, and SEC) to consult the White House on major regulations. This removes much of their traditional autonomy, as agency heads are now directly overseen by the Office of Management and Budget and must follow presidential priorities in both policy and spending. Trump now has far greater control over regulatory actions and legal positions across agencies that were previously insulated from direct executive influence. Independent agencies were meant to serve the people, not the president or his politics. He also fired the chair of the Federal Election Commission in February, triggering a loss of quorum and severely limiting the FEC’s authority

Trump has fired 17 federal inspectors general, often via late-night emails, bypassing the required 30‑day congressional notice and removing independent oversight across agencies. Kings don’t like oversight and they take authoritarian steps to maintain their control.

This pattern of power-grabbing is rooted in the Unitary Executive Theory, a radical constitutional interpretation that claims the president has total control over the executive branch. It’s been promoted by legal advisers like Bill Barr and Trump-aligned think tanks. Monarchs don’t share power. They centralize it. They erase independence, punish oversight, and bend institutions to serve themselves, not the people.

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There’s more to say, add your additions in the comments. But June 14 shouldn’t be about royal cosplay and ego parades. It should be about democratic pride. So fly your flag. Wear it. Reclaim it. Use it to remind the world that America doesn’t belong to kings. It belongs to us. Here’s some of my fave flag sweaters for the season:

1. Quince Men’s Sweater $59.90

2. Old Navy Sweater $34.99

3. Vineyard Vines Shawl Cardigan $208.60

4. Anthropologie Waving Flag $128

5. Needlepoint Flag Hat $45

6. GAP Kids Crochet Tank $39.95

7. Baby Flag Seersucker $30

8. Swiftie-inspired Cardigan $168

-> You can also check out the EYP merch store for MAKE AMERICA FOR EVERYONE merch!!