(Source : NBC) In a move that has sparked outrage and controversy, former President Donald Trump declared himself “king” on Wednesday while celebrating his administration’s efforts to dismantle New York City’s congestion pricing plan. The toll system, implemented last month to fund the region’s aging mass transit infrastructure, has become a flashpoint in a heated battle between federal and state leaders.
Trump took to social media to boast about the potential end of the program, writing, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!” The self-proclaimed royal proclamation drew immediate backlash, with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul firing back at a press conference.
“New York hasn’t labored under a king in over 250 years,” Hochul said defiantly at Grand Central Terminal. “And we sure as hell are not going to start now.”
The congestion pricing plan, which charges drivers up to $9 to enter Manhattan’s central business district during peak hours, was designed to reduce traffic, improve air quality, and generate billions for the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). However, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the tolls “backwards and unfair,” arguing they disproportionately burden commuters from outside the city.
“New York State’s congestion pricing plan is a slap in the face to working-class Americans and small business owners,” Duffy said in a statement. He claimed that drivers already fund highways through gas taxes and other fees.
MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber vowed to fight the federal government in court, insisting that congestion pricing has already proven its benefits. “We tried gridlock for 60 years. It didn’t work,” Lieber said. “What’s making New York a better place? Congestion pricing.”
Supporters of the plan argue that it has reduced traffic, improved bus speeds, and boosted the local economy. Critics, however, see it as a cash grab that unfairly targets suburban and out-of-state drivers. The Trump administration’s move was celebrated by some leaders outside Manhattan, including Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), who called it a “huge win for Jersey families, their wallets, and the environment.” Hochul, however, mocked the notion that New Jersey drivers were being unfairly taxed, quipping, “I don’t lose any sleep over the New York Giants and Jets playing their home games in New Jersey.”
President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday aimed at expanding the White House’s control over independent regulatory agencies, such as the SEC, FTC, and FCC. The order mandates that these agencies submit proposed regulations to the White House for review and requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to ensure that their spending aligns with the president’s priorities. Trump argued that these agencies currently hold significant power without adequate accountability to the President and the American people. This move is expected to provoke legal challenges, as Congress originally established these agencies to operate with independence. Critics argue that the order could undermine the checks and balances between the branches of government, while Trump’s supporters view it as a step to limit the influence of unelected bureaucrats and ensure the executive branch’s authority.
As the legal and political battle over congestion pricing heats up, one thing is clear: the fight over New York’s streets has become a proxy war in a larger clash of ideologies, with Trump’s self-styled “kingdom” at the center of the storm.
