Judge me by what I do, not what I say. We’ve all heard that maxim, but have you used it recently in looking at President Trump’s first eight months in office?
On October 18, there will be “No Kings” protests across the United States. A majority of Americans are concerned that Donald Trump thinks of himself as a king. Is Trump a king?
Many of the President’s actions, and some of his words, suggest Trump thinks he is a king. That is worrisome because historically kings enjoy, as White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller recently said, “plenary power.” Cornell Law School defines plenary power as “Complete power over a particular area with no limitations.”
Evidence of President Trump exercising plenary power is everywhere these days. Here are 10 examples:
Sending military troops into states despite requests from state governors to refrain from doing so. National Guard Troops have been sent to Los Angeles, Portland, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and even Memphis. In Memphis, National Guard troops were posted outside a Bass Pro Shop and a state visitors center.
Imposing monetary penalties and revoking security clearances for lawyers at law firms involved in criminal litigation of Donald Trump before his re-election in 2024.
Firing members of once-independent agencies, such as the National Labor Relations Board, Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Consumer Product Safety Commission, and others.
Firing Inspectors General at 17 federal departments and agencies (some say 18). Inspectors General were once independent watchdogs within agencies charged with ferreting out waste, fraud, and abuse. (RC)
According to Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN), the Trump administration expanded its use of immigration enforcement to target foreign nationals, particularly students, researchers, and legal residents—some for being accused of engaging in, or merely being adjacent to pro-Palestinian activism, some without any explanation at all.
Freezing grants to colleges and universities using spurious claims of antisemitism. The actions severely undermine the independence of American higher education.
Firing thousands of federal employees without cause or pressuring them to resign. These actions have effectively gutted many federal agencies, including FEMA, the CDC, the CFPB, and the Department of Education. Last week Trump, citing the “Democratic-caused shutdown” of the federal government, Trump fired the entire staff of the Office of Special Education Programs at the Education Department, effectively abolishing it. The office was created to ensure that students with disabilities are not discriminated against in federal education programs. Trump also fired 100 employees at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This office operates the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (988).
Rescinding grants made to address climate change. Without legislative authorization, Trump has made the Environmental Protection Agency into an office to promote the use of fossil fuels.
Redecorating the White House to look like a royal palace with hundreds installations of gold, the erection of massive flagpoles and the construction, now underway, of an enormous ballroom more than doubling the size of the White House.
And one additional item—massive corruption by rewriting federal regulation of cryptocurrency while Trump, Trump family members, and others close to the President made large and wildly successful investments in crypto.
This list could go on to cite the indictments of Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, efforts to fire the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, apparent solicitation, and receipt of a gift of a Boeing 747 luxury jet to the Trump Presidential Library from Qatar.
President Trump is acting like a king with no respect or use for Democracy. He appears to be working to rig or set the stage to cancel the 2026 mid-term elections.
Concern over President Trump’s leadership is why more than 2,000 “No Kings” protests are planned for October 18, 2025, including in Easton and Cambridge. More information about No Kings and October 18 can be found here.
J.E. Dean writes on politics, government, and other subjects. A former counsel on Capitol Hill and public affairs consultant, Dean also writes for Dean’s Issues & Insights on Substack.
Joyce Hawkins says
Labeling President Trump as a ‘King’ is rather funny. The definition of a King is a male monarch of a major territorial unit who rules for life. It also means a person or thing regarded as the finest or most important in their sphere or group. It seems that you wish to berate the President for doing what should have been done during the prior president’s term.
How many lawsuits did Biden’s Administration focus on trying to ruin President Trump? President Biden left the Country in a huge mess that needed to be cleaned up. So, if you call President Trump a King because we asked that he clean up the border, illegal immigrants, lawlessness in so many states, then I am sure he should be called a King.
John Dean says
Is calling Trump a dictator a more accurate description? The point of describing Trump as a king or a dictator is to see his Presidency as an attack on democracy characterized by numerous abuses of executive authority.
In any case, thank you for reading my piece.
j.r.durham says
The Fed agencies are jammed with too many “employees” anyway, almost 12,000 at the CDC which budget is also $12 BILLION dollars,
“King” Trump has worked diligently at getting the Hamas hostages back and to get Israel to STOP
the bombing of Gaza,( Pretty good success with he former but not so much the latter),
Pres. Trump is also getting SOME companies to come back to the USA to manufacture their goods,
rather than sending billions of dollars to China and unworthy countries.
And the Democrats in Congress were so miffed they didn’t get the $1.5 trillion dollars for their pet projects they fomented the Government shutdown.
Americans should buy American products and support people who work for American companies.
ANYONE can profit from Cryptocurrency, not just the wealthy or those “in power”.
And many excellent Colleges do not, and have never, accepted “Federal” grants in order to remain
independent and not subject to the whims of any administration.
leslie moorhouse says
Dear Mr Dean,
I started reading your commentary and got as far as “A majority of Americans are concerned that Donald Trump thinks of himself as a king.”
Where did you get that tidbit of misinformation?
Why do you and yours continue to try and divide this Nation. Is it to make yourself King??
Please come forth with something a bit more cohesive.
Thank you.
John Dean says
For the record, I am not trying to make myself King. If offered the position, I will not accept it.
I would also politely suggest you watch some of the No Kings protests on October 18. There are more than 2,000 being held in all 50 states, including here on the Eastern Shore.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Hi Les,
Who is trying to “divide this nation”?!
Are you seriously suggesting that others, not Trump, are responsible for what is happening? I will add: not Trump, he is demented, and has been an avatar for
Miller and other fascist.
An objective look at what is occurring is a fascist takeover of our nation.
Yeah, fascist from you know, WW11. And all the stuff these Miller types adore is available to watch in real time!
All of this is disgusting.
No one who call themselves an “American” is one who should be allied with fascism.period .
That is my silly opinion.
Is this so difficult?
Beryl Smith says
I have no idea who these respondents are but I suspect they are Fox News readers/watchers who never venture out of their comfort zone to see what is happening around them. It will be too late when they also are rounded up “by accident” or intentionally and put into prisons; it will be too late when they no longer have the freedom that I am now taking and they have taken to speak out; they will be too late when the rest of the world turns against the USA and we no longer have the privileges we have grown accustomed to, the deference that accepts us as moderators of a world order. I congratulate the president on the initiative in Israel but it remains to be seen how long his attention will stay on that issue before he moves on to something else and leaves the messiness to others. I urge everyone right and left to read ALL that you can to help understand where it side is coming from instead of just seeing no good in anyone on “the other side.
Thank you J.R. for all your timely writing.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Exactly Beryl.
Next time someone tells you that America isn’t a racist country, just remind them that this nation is willing to accept treason from a white president but
continue to vilify a Black man who did so much for this nation to unify us.
We are surrounded by discouraged whites who love
disparaging “others” for their lack of whatever it is that haunts them…insecurity, racism? Who knows.
Who cares!. They are losers who want to blame others….