Althouse: The President as King.

February 20, 2025

The President as King.

A cartoon from 1832:

AND: There's also this, from 1904:

40 comments:

Jamie said...: So, my first thought was, "I wonder how commonly populist presidents are portrayed in the media as kings," but unfortunately for my nascent hypothesis, a quick query of Grok came up with a pretty even-handed list - and didn't mention this instance.; 2/20/25, 1:50 PM
Jupiter said...: 1832? You mean Grok didn't make it? It's not by ChatGPT? Away with it!; 2/20/25, 2:16 PM
Kate said...: The cartoon made me think of a tarot card, but the Ryder Waite deck was illustrated in 1909, so no reference there.; 2/20/25, 2:21 PM
Jamie said...: Well well well... two populists! Maybe I shall return to the robot and refine my query.; 2/20/25, 2:24 PM
Enigma said...: The potential evil of a king had a lot more currency back in the Manifest Destiny era. Really old old-timers used to say things like "The USA got away from the corruption of the crowned heads of Europe." Today, with the UK as a model, kings are seen as symbols, cermonial figures, and dirty playboys.

Lots of power now lies with the tech firms, for not even the billionaires can live without social media (i.e., Trump and Musk).; 2/20/25, 2:29 PM
Jamie said...: Ok, my new Grok query, asking for political cartoons portraying American presidents as kings, came up with these two cartoons plus McKinley, Nixon, and Reagan. Chat GPT didn't find TR but did find FDR, Lincoln, Reagan, Obama, and Trump, in addition to Nixon. So "President as King" doesn't appear to be solely a projection phenomenon, so I hereby abandon my hypothesis (even though the inference that the left is doing what they accuse others of doing does still seem to be a pretty reliable approach).; 2/20/25, 2:36 PM
gilbar said...: I'm surprised you didn't mention JFK and the Kennedy dynasty?
I don't know if JFK was a "king", but seems like he Came a lot; 2/20/25, 2:45 PM
Aught Severn said...: From Claude 3.5:
Here are some notable examples throughout US history:

"King Andrew the First" (1832) - A famous cartoon portraying Andrew Jackson wearing a crown and royal robes, trampling the Constitution while holding a veto scepter. Created in response to Jackson's veto of the Second Bank of the United States bill.

"King Despot" (1861) - Abraham Lincoln depicted wearing a crown, critiquing his expansion of executive powers during the Civil War, particularly the suspension of habeas corpus.

"The Royal Feast" (1904) - Theodore Roosevelt shown as a king at a banquet table, representing criticisms of his "imperial presidency" and expansive use of executive power.

"Imperial Kaiser Wilson" (1917) - Woodrow Wilson portrayed in royal German military regalia, criticizing his wartime powers and perceived autocratic tendencies during WWI.

"King Franklin I" (1934) - FDR depicted as a monarch, reflecting Republican opposition to New Deal programs and expanded federal power.

"Imperial Presidency" (1973) - Richard Nixon shown in royal garb, critiquing his claims of executive privilege during Watergate.

"The Modern Monarchy" (1866) - Andrew Johnson depicted wearing a crown, criticizing his opposition to Congressional Reconstruction policies.

"Boss Tweed's Royal Court" (1871) - While not strictly about a president, this Thomas Nast cartoon showed Ulysses S. Grant as a weak king manipulated by the Tweed Ring, highlighting corruption concerns.

"His Imperial Majesty" (1941) - A cartoon showing FDR in royal regalia upon announcing his decision to run for a third term, reflecting concerns about breaking the two-term tradition.

"King George III of America" (1951) - Harry Truman portrayed as the British monarch, criticizing his seizure of the steel mills during labor disputes.

"King Lyndon" (1965) - LBJ depicted as a monarch, critiquing his expansive Great Society programs and handling of the Vietnam War.

"Imperial Reagan" (1987) - Ronald Reagan shown in royal attire during the Iran-Contra affair, criticizing his administration's alleged overreach.; 2/20/25, 2:46 PM
~ Gordon Pasha said...: Ann, Theodore Roosevelt hated Teddy. As a distant relative I feel compelled to bring this to your attention. https://curionic.io/blog/2018/3/11/theodore-roosevelt-hated-it-when-he-was-called-teddy; 2/20/25, 2:48 PM
BarrySanders20 said...: Obama as Louis XIV</a; 2/20/25, 2:51 PM
rhhardin said...: Imus: ..I guess [the Royals are] not there, but. I mean they haven't they haven't performed, but they they're they they they don't perform well in in virtually almost anything they do, other than wearing hideously stupid hats and looking as though they're all related through obviously more than marriage, just just an inbred bunch of goobers..
McCord: ..they do look goofy I sw..
Imus: ..jug eared..
McCord: ..[unintelligible]..
Imus: ..inbred nitwits..
McCord: ..any formal ceremony and they wander around, and they're in..
Imus: ..well..
McCord: ..the ermine robes and all those goofy little hats..
Imus: ..yeah..
McCord: ..with all the jewel..
Imus: ..the Queen and the Queen-mother and they're just sickening people. Anyway..
McCord: ..carrying scepters and..
Imus: ..But they they are the essence of that country and have been..
McCord: ..yup..
Imus: ..for hundreds and hundreds of years, and they are not going to get rid of them..
McCord: ..yeah..
Imus: ..ah if for no other reason than just to keep them around to beat up on them. Which is somewhat more entertaining..
McCord: ..keep them around for amusement..
Imus: ..yes, yeah..
McCord: ..rope them off, sell tickets..
Imus: ..rope them off, and sell tickets and charge admission to look at them. Which is essentially what they do now. Their they they their their primary source of ah, they are a tourist attraction.
McCord: ..that's right..
Imus: ..So.

September 4 1997 Imus in the Morning; 2/20/25, 2:54 PM
mindnumbrobot said...: It's good to be king and have your own world
It helps to make friends; it's good to meet girls
A sweet little queen who can't run away
It's good to be king, whatever it pays
–Tom Petty; 2/20/25, 2:56 PM
Vance said...: One of the big things Teddy Roosevelt was known for was trust busting, breaking up monopolies, and the like. Much to the screaming of the targets.

Isn't that what Trump is doing too, except focused on governmental monopolies?; 2/20/25, 2:56 PM
traditionalguy said...: I guess if you have to be accused of tyranny it’s not so bad to be compared to Old Hickory and Teddy Roosevelt who were 2 of our greatest Presidents.; 2/20/25, 3:02 PM
Lazarus said...: Thomas Nast famously portrayed Andrew Johnson as King several times.

There was also a once well-known cartoon of Chester Arthur as Henry V dismissing his old mentor, New York political boss Roscoe Conkling (as Falstaff) with an "old man, I know thee not."

I wouldn't be surprised if the LBJ, Nixon, and Reagan as king cartoons all came from NYRB's David Levine (apparently, though, they don't).

If you ask a search engine for a "cartoon of LBJ as king" nowadays, the first thing you get may be a sketch of LeBron James.; 2/20/25, 3:12 PM
Aggie said...: It hadn't really occurred to me before, but maybe the reason populists are so despised by political party functionaries (i.e. professional politicians) is that they are, by definition, popular. And this is poison to doctrinaires, whose principle consolidation of power lies in forcing obedience to their doctrine. But a populist, my goodness. What is more powerful than a popular and beloved king, one that is not ruled by the system of doctrine and favors, but is free to make policy and grant requests without due constraints? How terrifying.; 2/20/25, 3:35 PM
n.n said...: Teddy was a classical progressive, not a politically correct liberal.; 2/20/25, 3:44 PM
Ampersand said...: Kings don't have razor thin margins in the legislative branch and a judiciary with a constitution to protect. The executive order phase is drawing to a close.; 2/20/25, 4:22 PM
Pj said...: Surely there must be a plethora of Herb Block president-as-king depictions right? The Bushes both had to have received that distinctive as well right? Given their lineage….; 2/20/25, 4:23 PM
Ann Althouse said...: “ Ann, Theodore Roosevelt hated Teddy.”

Thanks. I did know that. It’s an old tag. Too hard to change.; 2/20/25, 4:23 PM
Mr. T. said...: Remember when the far-left New Republic (which has now been sued how many times for defamation?) put on it's cover a picture of Obama as Jesus in the greek Orthodox icon style?

Trump makes obvious trolling joke and the left, as always, froths and claws. But the woke cultists were all to bend a knee to their Almighty DEI hire Obama. Complete with the IRS Inquisitions.; 2/20/25, 4:31 PM
Clyde said...: "Bully!" as Theodore Roosevelt would have said.; 2/20/25, 4:34 PM
Howard said...: The ironic thing about politics today is that the Republicans are winning using democracy and the Democrats are trying to claw their way back to relevance using republicanism; 2/20/25, 5:07 PM
Eva Marie said...: Trump wears it best.; 2/20/25, 5:42 PM
Big Mike said...: There is no shortage of pictures of Barack Obama with a crown on his head.; 2/20/25, 5:46 PM
Big Mike said...: Here's an example from Breitbart.com; 2/20/25, 6:31 PM
john mosby said...: Trump could bring back another 70s classic: King of the World by Steely Dan.

Donald Fagen could show up at the rallies and act like he’s too cool to play it.

https://youtu.be/XOGWbaOOeCM?si=Zrml3zb1gYHfj39V

JSM; 2/20/25, 7:00 PM
Eva Marie said...: @Big Mike: Isn’t that the Imperial Margarine king?; 2/20/25, 7:23 PM
William said...: Before there were fascists, there were monarchists. I think the monarchist label had some of the sting as calling someone a fascist back then.....Napoleon missed a turn when he crowned himself Emperor. If he had gotten the assembly or whatever to install him as Glorious Consul for Life, he could have achieved status as the first fascist........I think that Trump what with all the gold trappings is more regal than fascistic. I think the fascist dictators used to pretend to live simply and be humble. That's not Trump's brand.; 2/20/25, 7:24 PM
Howard said...: In the drawing I was looking at what Jackson was trampling on. His right foot was on the Constitution and is left foot was on a paper labeled internal improvements and US Bank. Jackson ultimately vetoed the renewal of the 2nd Bank of the United States. I wonder if the plan is to replace the Federal reserve with some sort of cryptocurrency that doesn't require all of the middlemen and the money changers and all of those super important jobs will go to AI and blockchain.

"Jackson quickly vetoed the bill and defended his decision on constitutional principles, saying the Constitution does not specifically grant Congress the power to create a national bank. The president also questioned the Supreme Court’s decision in McCulloch v. Maryland, arguing that the Court should not serve as the exclusive authority or final arbiter of the Constitution. Instead, Jackson insisted that each branch had the ability to decide for itself whether a proposed measure was constitutional. Jackson also attacked the undemocratic character of the bank. Congress had provided it with exclusive privileges, he pointed out, and granted it a monopoly that insulated it from competition with state banks. Furthermore, foreign nationals owned more than one-fifth of the bank’s stock. In closing, Jackson emphasized that the “rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their selfish purposes.” The wealthy Americans stood to benefit from the bank’s recharter, he argued, not farmers, mechanics, and laborers."; 2/20/25, 8:02 PM
Martin said...: They're beating plowshares into swords
For this tired old man that we elected king
Armchair warriors often fail

From The End of The Innocence -- Don Henley; 2/20/25, 9:14 PM
gadfly said...: The King Teddy I cartoon was named "L'État, c'est moi."

Per Wiki: L'État, c'est moi (English: "I am the state", lit. 'the state, it is me') is an apocryphal saying attributed to Louis XIV, King of France and Navarre. It was allegedly said on 13 April 1655 before the Parlement of Paris. It is supposed to recall the primacy of the royal authority in a context of defiance with the Parliament, which contests royal edicts taken in lit de justice on 20 March 1655. The phrase symbolizes absolute monarchy and absolutism.; 2/20/25, 10:02 PM
Rocco said...: Howard said...
"The ironic thing about politics today is that the Republicans are winning using democracy and the Democrats are trying to claw their way back to relevance using republicanism."

I don't see anything republican about today's Democrats. Here are some qualities that are necessary for republicanism. Note: They are not exclusive to republicanism. And when I use "Republican", I am talking about republicanism, not the Republican Party.

- Republicans are anti-corruption: today's Democrats throw a fit when corruption has been exposed.
- Republicans believe in civic virtue: today's Democrats think in terms of politics.
- Republicans believe in the Rule of Law. Democrats believe in lawfare and if the government does it, it is not illegal.
- Republicans believe in a representative government: Democrats are busy defending an unelected beaurocracy.
- Republicans believe in res publica, which implies the existence of privatum: Democrats believe that anything untouched by government is because the legislatures and beaurocrats do not choose to do so.

And that's just a sample....; 2/21/25, 12:30 AM
mikee said...: Both those pics omit the de rigueur Greek columns in the background. How can you be a real king without Greek columns?; 2/21/25, 12:55 AM
Big Mike said...: @Eva Marie (7:23), I have no idea what you are referring to.; 2/21/25, 3:54 AM
Enigma said...: @Martin: They're beating plowshares into swords
For this tired old man that we elected king

Don Henley's 1980s view of Reagan --> the ultimate irony of Biden in 2021. Biden was much more tired (on entry) and 1,000x more autocratic than the Reagan was with his centrist deals and open checkbook. Once again, the Democrats drifted very far toward monarchy and autocracy as the Republicans stayed where they were.

We are now governed by a bunch of former 1990s Democrats who represent a different, non-woke Democratic vision. Many long-term Republicans continue to be led by the nose or sit on their hands, as always happens.; 2/21/25, 5:56 AM
Michael McNeil said...: Don't forget George Washington as God—gloriously rendered by Constantino Brumidi on the dome of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Then there's a statue of George Washington as Zeus—by Horatio Greenough, now in the National Museum of American History (at the Smithsonian) in Washington, D.C. Finally there's a statue of George Washington depicting him as a conquering Roman soldier or Emperor—by Antonio Canova, located in the North Carolina state capitol, Raleigh. Probably there are more I don't know of.; 2/21/25, 6:44 AM
Rocco said...: john mosby said...
“Trump could bring back another 70s classic: King of the World by Steely Dan.”

I always misheard the lyrics as:
I'm reading leftist papers
Although I don't know why

Well, I was 6 when the song came out.; 2/21/25, 7:54 AM
jim said...: Most of these examples are satirical depictitions of a president as king, not the president's minions representing him that way.

I suppose there's no difference. Still trying to catch up.; 2/21/25, 8:07 AM
Kevin said...: Politics: Tired tropes repeated endlessly to a stream of newly-created voters.; 2/21/25, 11:06 AM