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.
Jim Bachman says
This is the most incompetent and corrupt administration in US history. So, at least we are #1 in something.