President Donald Trump sparked a media firestorm on Wednesday after posting an image of himself wearing a crown with the caption, “LONG LIVE THE KING.”
The meme, shared on X (formerly Twitter), followed his administration’s successful pressure on Democrat New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to abandon the state’s controversial congestion pricing plan.
Congestion pricing is a tolling strategy aimed at reducing traffic congestion by charging vehicles to enter certain areas. The move faced opposition from Trump and the U.S. Department of Transportation, which revoked approval for New York City’s plan to charge drivers entering Manhattan.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy criticized the tolls as unfair to working-class Americans and small businesses, calling the plan a “slap in the face.” Trump celebrated the halt, declaring, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD.”
