The denizens of Donald Trump’s favorite morning show cheered the president on Thursday for hailing himself as a “king” after striking down New York’s congestion pricing, claiming he’s merely “making fun” of Democrats and driving them “crazy” by giving them “a little bait.”
The Fox & Friends hosts’ celebratory reaction to the president’s declaration, which they also said was a message to other “liberal” cities, comes just days after Fox News praised Trump for “triggering the libs” by parroting an authoritarian quote to suggest he is above the law.
Just weeks after New York debuted its congestion pricing plan, which aimed to reduce city traffic and raise money for mass transit, the Trump administration revoked federal approval for the program. The administration claimed the toll burdened working-class drivers and objected to using revenue to fund transit rather than repair roads. Meanwhile, early data from the program showed gridlock had lessened in downtown Manhattan while foot traffic had increased.
“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD,” Trump boasted on Truth Social. “Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”
The president’s statement was quickly shared by the White House’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, alongside a mock Time magazine cover featuring a portrait of Trump with a crown. White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich also posted the president’s message while sharing an AI-generated image of Trump wearing a royal cape.
It didn’t take long for New York Gov. Kathy Huchul to weaponize Trump’s comments against the administration while vowing to fight the order in court and keep the program active.
“I’m here to say New York hasn’t labored under a king in over 250 years and we sure as hell are not going to start now,” Hochul exclaimed to cheers on Wednesday. “The streets of the city where battles were fought, we stood up to a king and we won. In case you don’t know New Yorkers, when we’re in a fight, we do not back down, not now, not ever.”
She went on to say this was “an attack against our sovereign identity” while holding up the White House’s tweet featuring Trump as king, noting “we are a nation of laws” and not ruled by a monarch. “Think about this next time you're stuck in traffic,” Hochul added, holding up the mock Time cover.
While Trump’s “king” declaration has been met with widespread derision, the MAGA sycophants at Fox & Friends heaped praise on the president for masterfully “trolling” liberals and Democrats.
“This is a signal not to just New York but all of the other cities — liberal cities. Don’t do it! We’re not going to approve it,” co-host Lawrence Jones exclaimed. ”Again, I don’t understand the Democrats. Who do you think the American people will side with on this issue?”
After airing a clip of Hochul denouncing Trump declaring himself a “king,” Jones insisted that Trump was not serious and was merely baiting Democrats into freaking out over his latest alarming comment.
“He is making fun of them! He doesn’t really think he is a king,” he maintained. “He has mastered making them go crazy. He gives them a little bait, and he knows they’re not gonna focus on the issue. They’re going to focus on the name ‘king.’”
While his co-hosts agreed with him, Jones added: “In an effort to be anti-Trump, they will use this as the issue for him. But then he has the people on his side! So, again, an ‘L’ for the Democrats and a ‘W’ for Trump!”
Elsewhere in the broadcast, co-host Ainsley Earhardt brought on Lara Trump — the president’s daughter-in-law who is launching a new Fox News show this weekend — to not only promote her weekend program but to cheer on her father-in-law over his New York order.
“It’s so funny — the irony of Kathy Hochul saying we haven’t lived and labored under a king for 250 years,” Trump said. “Yet, do you remember why the American Revolution started? It’s because of high taxes. This is just an extra tax on the people here in New York who already are facing these egregiously high prices.”
It isn’t just the conservative cable giant’s hosts who have downplayed Trump’s latest disconcerting remarks, which also come as he’s issued executive orders to consolidate power and seize control over independent regulatory agencies.
Discussing the administration’s congestion pricing block and the president’s social media posts, Morning Joe host Mika Brzezinski — who once described Trump as a “doddering dictator wannabe” but has faced viewer backlash recently for meeting with Trump after his election — shrugged off the “king” declaration.
“I mean, a little bit joking here. Let's not, like, get triggered here,” she stated on Thursday morning. “But, I mean, it’s just exhausting.”
Meanwhile, Fox News’ celebration of Trump hailing himself as a monarch is similar to how the network’s personalities reacted a few days ago when the president posted on Truth Social: “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.” The quote is often attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, the military leader who overthrew France’s post-revolutionary government before declaring himself emperor.
“I am really grateful that President Trump did troll them on this, and I think he knew this was going to be their reaction,” Fox News pundit Sara Carter said, while network medical contributor Nicole Saphier added that Trump “puts up tweets like this because he knows that they are going to lose their mind. He has Democrats and left-wing media in such a tizzy.”
