PHILADELPHIA – Today City Council enacted Resolution No. 250125, which condemns President Donald J. Trump for moving our nation closer to a constitutional crisis by likening himself to, and acting like, a king.
Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, who introduced the resolution, said “America had a king once. But almost 250 years ago, here in Philadelphia we freed our nation from a monarch’s tyranny and fought for the modern world’s first government for the people, by the people. As the place where the constitution was ratified we have a responsibility to condemn Trump’s tyrannical assault on our constitution and reaffirm how treacherous it is for the President of the United States to refer to himself as a king!”
Last week, President Trump made a post on Truth Social that included “Long Live the King,” in reference to himself. The White House X and Instagram accounts, as well as government social media accounts for White House staffers, then posted an illustration of Trump wearing a crown.
A president’s words matter and this rhetoric is abnormal, inappropriate, and dangerous. But President Trump’s actions prove these are not empty words.
President Trump has shown utter disregard for the rule of law, separation of powers, and constitution. Just a month into his term, President Trump overreached his executive power on several occasions: he tried to overturn the constitutional right to birthright citizenship, shuttered federal agencies and programs enshrined into law by Congress, and declared himself above the law.
Our nation is an ongoing experiment in democracy and self governance, one that requires our active participation. As an elected official who swore an oath to the constitution, Councilmember Gauthier refused to remain silent as President Trump tries to crown himself America’s king.
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