Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier on May 1, 2024.
Credit: Jean ParkPhiladelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier introduced a resolution to City Council on Thursday denouncing 1968 Wharton graduate and President Donald Trump for referring to himself as a king.
Gauthier, who represents Philadelphia’s third district — which includes University City — introduced the resolution at the Feb. 20 City Council meeting. The move came in a response to a Feb. 19 Truth Social post in which Trump wrote, “Long live the king!” in celebration of the Department of Transportation rescinding its approval for New York’s congestion pricing program.
Trump’s statement was also posted on official White House social media accounts, along with a mock TIME magazine cover illustration that depicted the president wearing a golden crown.
“A president’s words matter, but President Trump’s actions prove that he truly sees himself more like a monarch than a president,” Gauthier wrote in a press release announcing the resolution.
In her speech at Thursday’s City Council meeting, Gauthier described Trump’s post as “abnormal,” “inappropriate,” and “outright dangerous.”
The resolution — which referenced the language of the Declaration of Independence and Philadelphia's role in the American Revolution — condemned Trump for likening himself to “a monarch” and criticized the actions of his second administration.
“As the birthplace of American democracy and the city where this nation rejected the tyranny of a king, it is paramount that Philadelphia calls out this assault on the constitution and reaffirm how abnormal, inappropriate, and dangerous it is for a President of the United States to liken himself to, and act like, a king,” Gauthier’s office said in a statement on the resolution.
Gauthier’s speech also criticized many of the actions taken during the president’s first month in office, including Trump’s intention to end birthright citizenship and his executive orders stalling federal funding.
“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,” Gauthier stated in her press release.
Since his inauguration in January, Trump has signed numerous executive orders, many of which push constitutional limits and have been challenged in federal court.
During the meeting, other actions taken by the executive branch were criticized by members of the Council, including actions taken by the Department of Governmental Efficiency, which is currently led by 1997 College and Wharton graduate Elon Musk.
Councilmembers criticized the agency for instituting layoffs and cuts that will weaken programs and departments throughout Philadelphia, particularly ahead of preparations for the semiquincentennial, or the 250th anniversary of America’s birth.
“Federal cuts by DOGE will cost thousands of jobs and $200 million in funding for our city. This will impact small business, service sector jobs, and tourism, especially as we head towards our celebration of the 250 years of independence,” City Councilmember Kendra Brooks said during a speech at the meeting.
“This right here is unprecedented, is unconstitutional, and unacceptable,” Brooks added.
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