Trump calls himself “THE KING”
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) February 19, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Here’s what late-stage Elvis is talking about:
The Trump administration is pulling the plug on New York City’s controversial congestion pricing plan, just weeks after it got started.
In a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation said it was terminating its Nov. ’24 agreement with the state.
The program was a success, but government interference is bad until it isn’t, just ask the guy who appointed the anti-vaxx nutcase who’s going to outlaw vaccines. Also, nice of vassal Trump to shout out Elon, who we all know is the King.
Anyway, speaking of Hochul, Lt Gov Antonio Delgado has broken with Hochul to call for Adams to step down. Hochul’s inaction, or dumb actions, keep getting her in trouble. She stuck by her appointment of Hector LaSalle as chief appellate judge despite party resistance and LaSalle was the first judge to be denied an appointment by the legislature since the 70s. She was weak on congestion pricing (holding it up because the $15 toll was too high), but it’s pretty damn popular. Events in the City are passing her by, with four deputy mayors quitting and the Comptroller threatening to do what he can to get rid of Adams.
Firing Adams would be a big boost to her popularity, but she missed her play on LaSalle, was late to the party on congestion pricing, and now she’s missing her play on firing Adams. Clearly, Delgado is one of many New York politicians who think they can beat her in a primary, and they’re not wrong. If she continues on the current path, she will lose to him, Tish James or some other downstate politician.
If Delgado is a new name for you, it’s because Hochul’s first Lt. Governor, Brian Benjamin, who she appointed (another bad decision), quit after being indicted for sending a grant to a real-estate developer in return for campaign contributions. Benjamin’s charges were dropped after that developer died.
(Also, prediction: Tish James will sue to stop the Transportation Department, get a TRO, and congestion pricing will continue.)
Edit: Judge Ho just finished the hearing on the DoJ’s request to drop Adam’s charges without ruling.
Edit: Hochul is pissed and showing it. Good. This was a great press conference on her part.
WTFGhost
I think that could be used. Were you just told you’re crap at your job, and had your ass kicked to the curb in a most ungracious manner? No worries – COME BACK TO WORK! The KING doesn’t make mistakes! And no apology for screwing with you – not even a “stay put” bonus if you stick with us through uncertainty!
Trollhattan
Zombie Elvis will kick his ass.
Ohio Mom
“King” does have a nicer ring to it than
“Dictator.”
SpaceUnit
Figure it out, NY. We don’t have the bandwidth right now.
suzanne
Congestion pricing has been very successful on multiple fronts (reducing traffic, reducing emergency response times, reducing pedestrian crashes) so far, and was raising a lot of income for the MTA. To note: the MTA is incredibly underfunded and roughly only 1/3 of NYC’s subway stations are fully accessible to the disabled.
Old School
Lobo
General question: How many kids have to die to feed Musk’s greed? Or something similar How many …… have to …… to feed Musk’s greed.
Your Apocalypse Talking points to your House Rep. from TPM:
A flat no on any assistance on budget and debt ceiling until the criminal conduct stops as the only acceptable position
Right thing to do
Constitutional thing to do
Only meaning thing to do to change situation in short-medium term.
For the Senate:
-Deny Quorum
-Block Unanimous Consent
-Max Out Debate Time
-Blanket Opposition to all nominees(including lower level ones).
For you: Imagine a better world. Peace.
mrmoshpotato
@Ohio Mom:
Meh. The Declaration of Independence was a laundry list of reasons King George III could go fuck himself.
Why am I thinking about kings and dictators fucking themselves? 🤔
Belafon
the official white house tweet includes a picture of Trump wearing a crown.
Trollhattan
THE KING is warming up to dictating your shitter will use 10 gallons/flush, like Gawd intended. Next, French fries must contain actual French.
Stay tuned
Lord Fartdaddy (formerly Mumphrey, et al.)
This just so fucking disturbing. And Republicans, all they’ll say is, “Oh, he’s only trolling liberals. Get over it.” And they’re right, that is what he’s doing, but that isn’t all he’s doing. He’s softening everybody up, getting us inured to weakening democracy.
Geminid
@suzanne: Hopefully New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Agency has already accessed most of their Infrastructure bill funding. They were allocated around $10 billion for capital improvements in the bill passed in November of 2021..
NotoriousJRT
Trump: Always be trolling because he is an actual troll.
NotoriousJRT
@Lord Fartdaddy (formerly Mumphrey, et al.): agree
TBone
I just received a reply from Action Together NEPA and wanted to share for anyone else in these Counties who might like to be a participant. LFG! Will post more info as I get it for any interested PA peeps.
Citizen Alan
For the moment, the judiciary is completely insulated from the executive branch and DOGE when it comes to our operations and payroll. For the moment.
Also, my good friend who is an FAA independent contractor has just had it confirmed that, by contract, he is a remote employee instead of just a teleworker. So they can’t force him to come back to work in-office, which was 400 miles away from the house he and his wife just bought. He’s still considering moving to Scotland though.
kindness
I’ll let Trump be king if we can be the French people paying their respects. Who has a working guillotine, anyone?
TBone
@kindness: I’ll never tell …
suzanne
@Geminid: I hope so. Construction in NYC is incredibly expensive and difficult. As I have found in my career, ADA upgrades can be incredibly expensive and onerous.
Citizen Alan
Honestly, at this point, I hope Shitgibbon starts wearing a literal crown everywhere he goes. And requires people to bow to him.
Jay
The return of Mo Salad
NJ Gov. Murphy is about to set a ratio record over at BlueSky for bootlicking and thanking Trump and Duffy for stopping this. Join me, will you? bsky.app/profile/govmurphy.bsky.social/post/3likjm4rryk2k
Jay
prostratedragon
Gov. Hochul:
Belafon
@Jay: All of the countries showing us up have experienced this before. We’re gonna have to learn our lesson as well.
Martin
I have no idea how the federal government has jurisdiction to stop a state program to regulate local roads.
Ohio Mom
@mrmoshpotato: Oh, Trump is a dictator, or at the very least, inches away from that status — I’ll leave the details of the definition to the political scientists.
I was being facetious. But you are right, there is irony in the U.S. reverting back to being ruled by a king.
Elizabelle
Elvis had talent. And he served his country, in the Army, posted to Germany.
The King. On his Throne. We can see he wears no clothes, but it will take a bit longer for his voters and our many pathetic nonvoters to get the clue (those that are reachable; no idea of the percentage there).
caphilldcne
I’m pretty sure he’s reacting directly to the No Kings message of President’s Day. Was at the DC protest. I like to think we’re at least getting under his skin
Elizabelle
Zelensky politely said that Trump “is living in a disinformation space.”
jowriter
Hochul seems incapable of a quick and correct read of the room, though I see she just fired back at Mr. Wish It Were King. Delgado has probably always wanted to be gov, and left his spot as a congressman to become Lt.Gov. I canvassed for him in the next district over (the 19th) when Maloney’s seat (then the 18th) was considered safe. Back then he seemed like a good guy and I hope he still is.
Chacal Charles Calthrop
@prostratedragon: Tish James does need to get a TRO to keep congestion pricing in place.
BTW Hector LaSalle not only sucks as a judge, he also sucks as an administrative judge; the Second Department, which he presides over, is the slowest court in NY and appeals take years to be decided.
So if Tish James gets a TRO, it might be years before it’s undone….
Mr. Bemused Senior
@kindness: “Vive le Roi.”
They have forgotten that the French Revolution actually happened.
Ohio Mom
duplicate
WTFGhost
@Jay: It needs to be pointed out that the entire Republican Party of the USA is in on the coup, er. collapse of checks and balances. They could stop him, or slow him down, and have chosen *not* to.
They could have said “don’t elect him, he’s damaged our country too much!”
They could have said “don’t elect him, we’re sorry our addiction to right wing nutjobs makes him sound sensible, but he’s a moron, a cheat, and he thinks you’re all rubes!” and they could have investigated him during his first term, or their Senators could have held to their oath to see impartial justice delivered.
It’s been 8 long years of checks and balances collapsing. Fuck, 25, if you want to count W and his lying us into Iraq.
Gretchen
@Citizen Alan: My friend, whose union lawyer stated that they couldn’t be forced to the office because remote is in the contract, got an updated notice that there’s a “change of mission” and the contract doesn’t count. Not sure what will happen next.
Martin
@Jay: In truth, checks and balances barely existed before. The rules and norms in Congress are designed to paralyze the institution, not enable the ability to check the courts or the executive.
And voters have for our entire lives been able to trust that the system will work without us having to do anything more than vote. That’s the thing being tested and it’s a muscle that not only do we not exercise, we didn’t even know we needed to have until now. It’s going to take a bit of time before we know how to turn that dread and anger into action, and what kind of action.
Martin
@Mr. Bemused Senior: No they haven’t. They’re trusting we’re too civilly minded to do anything more than paint signs.
Trollhattan
@Gretchen:
If they make Jamie Dimon GodKing Junior, EVERYBODY will have to be in office 24/7 for basically ever.
Big “if I can’t see them how do I know they’re working?” vibes.
gene108
@Jay:
The most disappointing thing to me about the USA now is close to half the country wants an authoritarian illiberal democracy with one party rule and they don’t care how it happens.
Citizen Dave
I do not like the term “constitutional crisis”. The term we all should be using is: The French phrase coup d’état translates to “stroke of state” or “strike against the state”. It’s a noun that means a sudden, violent, or illegal overthrow of a government.
It’s happening now. In our nation.
LAC
@prostratedragon: So she is fighting this? Okay…so are we continuing to shit on her or not? Asking for a friend.
Baud
@Chacal Charles Calthrop:
This lawsuit would be in federal court.
Baud
@Martin:
There was some federal action taken before. Trump reversed that. That’s what this lawsuit is about.
Belafon
@LAC: She can actually be right about this and wrong about Adams.
scav
Quick, Meltdown in Aisle White House! Someone get the big baby to Burger King stat, he wants his KWOWNNM!!!! And supersize his fries with that.
Steve LaBonne
@gene108: We have been skating on very thin ice for years now. In November we finally fell through. Trump is an enormously dangerous and destructive symptom, but the underlying mortal sickness of our political culture is the deeper problem.
Baud
@Steve LaBonne:
Agree completely.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
I network with a lot of housing justice people and neighborhood groups in NYC who opposed congestion pricing for a number of valid reasons, I’ve related those in previous head-butting exercises with the white urbanists here.
Whether or not “it’s working” or “is supported” depends entirely on who’s side is talking. Probably the only thing I saw that wasn’t massively biased was a Morning Consult poll a couple of weeks back that showed more people supported than opposed but it still wasn’t at the 50+% level. But, it did demonstrate a level of support that wasn’t there going into it. Also too, MTA, at least a couple of weeks back, had refused to release any funding info about what they might have gotten from congestion pricing to date. The lack of transparency along those lines and general questions about data gathering to support their premise that congestion pricing Is. A. Good. Thing., was also not forthcoming last time I checked.
None of that is important at this point. This is about the laws and regulations that presumably cover this. I should know more details along these lines as I *think* the federal agency primarily involved in this sort of thing is my old one.
If that’s the case, then there are regulations that govern just what a local body (which is defined on a number of levels from the state on down) can and cannot do along these lines if there are Federal monies in the project/site/route or some other legislative action that covers the route in question. If that’s the case and the implementation of this was allowed (and one would think given the lead up to it, that the state and local agencies would have worked with we Feds on those details) and Hair Furor and his minions actually are playing king, regardless of what one thinks about congestion pricing, I’m hoping the court smacks this down with extreme prejudice.
At a surface glance, this can come across as a “states rights” thing which just reinforces the adage that the GOP believes in states rights (itself a dog whistle)…until it doesn’t. However, given the complicated nature of transportation infrastructure funding from the Federal level on down, it’s undoubtedly not that simple a delineation. If the court finds ambiguity in the regulations, that’ll be something that would need to be changed (tightened up) by Congress. Hah! Who am I kidding about that.
Again, I worked for a DOT mode for 27+ years, some of this crap rubbed off on me over that time and this move smacks of more ignoring the rules and not just pushing the envelope but shattering it into a million pieces, all for probably some grudge the Orange Fart Cloud has or trying to batter NY Dems in some manner. We can generically continue to shit on Hochul for whatever pet reason somebody might have but her reaction to this is understandable and good to see.
ColoradoGuy
The Orange Monster is all about symbolism. He made a point of not having his hand on the Bible when sworn in this time around. He’ll probably start wearing a crown now, and expecting a literal kiss on the ring, like a Pope.
Come to think of it, for MAGA, he is a Pope, or some kind of religious icon.
JerseyBeard
The congestion pricing decision is a direct assault on the non-rich – the bus riders who saw 30 min improvements at the Lincoln tunnel. Lot of union guys on those buses, and a lot of middle class office workers who never drove in the first place. It would be nice if Murphy was on the right side here but he’s a billionaire lover so there you go.
WTFGhost
@Martin: The rules and norms aren’t there to paralyze the institutions – they just assumed that honorable, decent men would gather together and actually try to work out how to serve the country best – not how to use their power to get more power.
That very idea – that it’s okay to *use* power given you by the people, for your own sake, and not for the people – is so common in our society that people are sometimes surprised to hear it’s obviously and inherently corrupt.
We’re a *democracy* and everyone who is given power is given it by the people, and for the people. Anyone who isn’t doing that is corrupt. Yes, some will “serve the people” in ways we don’t agree with, like jailing low level drug offenders. That might be evil, but it’s not *corrupt*. We should also root out evil, but corruption is, at least, more easily defined.
A Ghost to Most
Wait, I thought Muskrat Bastard was king.
Bruce K in ATH-GR
“Long Live the King”, says the Felon-In-Chief?
Sic semper tyrannis, says I.
dww44
@Belafon: Everyone needs to check out the LOD show last evening on MSNBC. He goes into great detail about the fact that Hochul does not have the ability to fire another elected official in the state. She can convene a hearing, which she has done. There’s a lot more explanatory detail provided, but the upshot is that O’Donnell says that those calling for her to fire Adams are wrong. She cannot do that directly.
Emily B.
Yeah, this is Trump pushing the envelope again, saying the illegal and outrageous stuff out loud and knowing that at least half his audience will refuse to believe he means exactly what he says until it’s too late.
He’s certainly stupid enough to be a king.
WTFGhost
@ColoradoGuy: For Christians, Jesus had a simple test to look for false objects of worship. Look to what happens around them.
Are the hungry better fed? Do people have good water? Are the needy better sheltered? Are the sick, the imprisoned, i.e., the helpless, are they visited, cared about?
You know a lot about people by what happens around them. Trump stiffed contractors – claims they did “terrible” work, just like the people he fired, then had to unfire. Strangely, people didn’t notice that *every* contractor did *terrible* work for Trump and got crapped on. (I did.)
Steve LaBonne
@A Ghost to Most: Orange Thěoden is nominally the king, but Elon Wormtongue controls him.
LAC
@dww44: Thank you.
gene108
@Martin:
Withhold federal transportation funds.
gene108
@JerseyBeard:
Murphy’s worth a few hundred million from his time at Goldman Sachs. Despite that he’s been a pretty good governor.
He’s just wrong to fight congestion pricing this hard.
jimmiraybob
Well, at least we can look forward to the Queen’s next fashion statement, “Let them eat cake.”
Doc Sardonic
@WTFGhost: There is a reason he doesn’t do any development in Florida beyond what he already has. Florida has a very powerful contractors lien law. It is the option at the start of every project for the contractor to place a lien on the property being worked on before it starts. Upon completion of the project payment is expected in full, if the project does not meet client approval, there are legal remedies that can be followed. However, until those legal remedies are completed the lien stays on the property. If the dispute is settled then payment occurs, most contractors have the release of lien printed on the back of the paid invoice, then notify the clerk of courts that the lien is satisfied. Upshot is that if the client does not pay the contractor has the option of taking possession of the property or by court order have it sold at auction on the courthouse steps. That’s how Donnie almost lost Doral to a paint contractor, he stiffed them they start foreclosure proceedings due to the lien.
@mistermix.bsky.social
@dww44:
No she hasn’t, and that’s not the order of the process.
This is the process from Section 9 of the City Charter:
“The mayor may be removed from office by the governor upon charges and after service upon him of a copy of the charges and an opportunity to be heard in his defense. Pending the preparation and disposition of charges, the governor may suspend the mayor for a period not exceeding thirty days.”
codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/newyorkcity/latest/NYCcharter/0-0-0-5717
Charges come first, then a hearing.
I think you might have misheard a different statement, which is Hochul is waiting until after the hearing that the federal judge had today to make a decision. That hearing ended without a decision today, but the decision will be forthcoming pretty soon.
NeenerNeener
@gene108: That’s going to happen anyway. Musk just hasn’t gotten to that yet.
Jackie
What the hell is going on with Fetterman?
Glory b
@jowriter: Somitting I’ve mentioned before, but mistermix continues to ignore, is that the law DOES NOT allow her to just fire him, there must be a hearing and Findings of fact established.
As rikyrah and I have said, there needs to be buy in from black NYC voters, hence the need for Jeffries, Meeks and other elected officials to get buy in from the black clergy.
She’s not Trump in The Apprentice, she can’t just yell “You’re fired!”
Like Judge Chutkan, there has to be all “i’s” dotted and “t’s” crossed. Otherwise, he’s set up for a successful appeal and would likely run again, this time as the black victim if scheming white people.
Remember, New York has the jungle voting system, he won with just 35% of the vote.
Glory b
@Jackie: Black women tried to tell you, mainly Candidly Tiff and me.
And some people wonder why black people, especially women, are tired?
Rinse, repeat.
prostratedragon
@Mr. Bemused Senior: Even the less revoluionarily-minded English came to some conclusions when a king tried to disband Parliament, which effectivelybis what this knave is trying to do.
different-church-lady
Why the fuck are we talking about the congestion pricing part when we should be laser focused on the declaring himself king part?
Wilson Heath
“Republican” in that party name is now entirely newspeak. In no meaningful sense are the republicans. He’ll, they’re speeding past monarchism to make Shitler into their godhead, as demonstrated by this attempt to use impeachment powers to punish what is blasphemy for all intents and purposes. reuters.com/world/us/republican-lawmaker-seeks-us-judges-impeachment-over-ruling-against-trump-2025-…
@mistermix.bsky.social
@Glory b:
Scroll up three comments and see where I reproduced the entirety of the City Charter on this. So I haven’t ignored it, but you have.
She has to put the finding of facts out first, then there’s a hearing, but she can suspend him in the meantime. Hearing doesn’t go first.
She could do it, she and Hakeem Jeffries and other members of the machine that she listens to don’t want Jumaane Williams to be mayor. It’s that simple.
WTFGhost
@Doc Sardonic: And that’s the thing that makes him so *stupid*. He could have been a *great* real estate developer, if he made sure everyone (including himself) had a big bucket while it was raining soup. Instead, he brings a bathtub, and tries to horn in on everyone’s soup bowl.
You know what I sometimes think? I sometimes think, people see Trump as their only chance at success. You need to have power, and cheat, and lie, and steal, and defraud, or, you’re a “sucker, a loser”. Trump, they think, *is* the American dream.
Me, I was in IT, so I saw the dream of “hired by a startup, with salary *and* stock, get bought out, HAPPY DAYS” (although they probably watch a different TV show).
hotshoe
@@mistermix.bsky.social:
Okay, this would result in Jumaane Williams, who is Black, to be mayor, instead of Eric Adams, who is Black.
I guess I don’t see why this is suggested to be a problem of “scheming white people”. Whose propaganda would that be?
Why would Jeffries or Meeks or other Dem politicians want to support the obviously corrupt Adams? I thought our Dems are proud of being the party which gets rid of the corrupt among us (even when we pay a cost in votes, eg Bob Menendez). What gives?
Why under god’s blue heaven would “black clergy” need to “buy in” to getting rid of Adams? Williams is baptist. Adams is known to be a non-denominational christian. Whose faith is being affected here?
The voters elected Adams in 2021. But two thirds of voters polled in Oct 2024 (not a mayoral election year) said they wanted Adams out.
Who, exactly, are the remaining people who feel that Adams should be allowed to stay on and stay corrupt?
Starfish (she/her)
@Trollhattan: You need to apologize by calling FREEDOM fries by the wrong name. They will contain no actual freedom. /s
Kayla Rudbek
@WTFGhost: “by your fruits shall you know them”