Following an action on Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) seeking to limit New York City from carrying out a previously approved congestion pricing program, President Donald Trump bragged about the outcome on social media, calling himself a “king.”

This statement is the latest example of Trump expressing his desire to govern without any checks and balances — as well as his disrespect for the U.S. system of federalism, which grants local governments, in some cases, the right to enact their own laws.

DOT Secretary Sean Duffy announced the decision to rescind the program, justifying the move by claiming the program was “driven primarily by the need to raise revenue for the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) system as opposed to the need to reduce congestion.”

The program, which is still in place for now, had previously been authorized in November 2024 by the Biden administration. According to MTA chair Janno Lieber, the congestion pricing program is already “highly successful,” and has “dramatically reduced congestion, bringing reduced traffic and faster travel times, while increasing speeds for buses and emergency vehicles.”

Lieber said his agency planned to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that the decision to rescind approval of the program would be an overreach by the White House.

Trump celebrated his administration’s moves by posting on Truth........

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