The foundation of America is based upon the value of democracy as a departure from monarchy to ensure that its citizens would be free and equal in the eyes of the government. President Trump appears to be fashioning himself in the style of a king, suggesting he is above the laws of the land and even explicitly referring to himself as the king. This tyrannical behavior not only flouts the basic expectation that a president should be a law-abiding citizen but is downright unpatriotic and un-American.
Trump has begun referring to the possibility of running for a third term despite the fact that the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution explicitly prohibits such an event from happening. As a convicted felon on 34 different counts, it is unsurprising that Trump would believe himself to be above the law. No person should be exempt from following the law, especially the President.
The American public is taking Trump seriously, with over half of Americans polled believing he will attempt to run for a third term. American citizens are accustomed to his disrespect for the democratic process and peaceful transfer of power, as he has previously called for his supporters to storm the United States Capitol building because he disagreed with the results of the 2020 presidential election.
His claims are in line with an imperialist tyrant. Trump has claimed that Canada should become the 51st state, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau even confirmed these threats as real in a hot mic moment. Trump has also stated that he would like to take control of both Greenland and the Panama Canal and that he is willing to utilize military force to achieve this goal. To threaten military force to take control of multiple locations abroad is the act of a dictator, not of an American President.
Even more disturbing than his disregard for the laws of our country is his seeming hope to turn his presidency into a monarchy. His belief that democracy should be overturned and that he should be crowned the king requires not only hubris, but also the unpatriotic devaluation of democracy.
Woven into the fabric of our nation is the deliverance from the archaic system of nobility and monarchy. Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution states that “no title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States,” explicitly stating that the despotic systems of monarchy and nobility have no place within our country.
Trump not only hints at his royal delusion through his desire to conquer foreign lands as his own, but he explicitly calls himself a king. On February 19th, the official White House account tweeted “long live the King,” accompanied by a strange parody cover of Times magazine that says “Trump” in place of “Times” and depicts him wearing a crown. More than any of his tyrannical claims and references, this explicitly shows that Trump believes that he ought to be, or already is, the country’s king.
To disregard and disrespect the founding values of our nation to such a degree as to suggest a monarchy with himself at the helm, Trump engages in behavior that is plainly un-American. The leader of a nation should not be a person who desecrates the country’s values. They must be held accountable to these values.
Trump’s behavior reflects his principles or lack thereof. His values are not only unpatriotic, but his devaluation of democracy is wholly un-American.