The Court of King Trump

How a President Turns Petitioners into Subjects — and America into a Palace of Favor and Fear

The petitioners come forward, singly or in groups. They are powerful men and women, commanding vast fortunes and entire armies of workers. And yet they humble themselves as they appeal to the gatekeepers for a few moments of the ruler’s time. No matter the humiliation, they are eager to bend a knee and beg for favors.

We’ve all seen the movies and streaming shows (Game of Thrones, anyone?) that depict life under a monarchy — the palace intrigue, the ruler’s whims, the constant jockeying for favor. We imagine ourselves as either the ruler or one of the ruled, wondering how we might cope. And somewhere in the back of our minds, we feel a flicker of gratitude that we live in a democracy.

America was created in direct opposition to monarchy. Our founders did everything they could to guard against it. Tragically, it’s exactly what we have now: Donald Trump has turned the Oval Office into a throne room where petitioners come to grovel. Raised by a father who told him he was a king, Trump must be thrilled by this moment.

Lately, his throne room has been crowded with powerful executives desperate for exemptions from the King’s reckless, profit-crushing global tariff war. The first notable exception went to Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, who sought protection for the iPhone — the goose that lays the company’s golden eggs.

No product better symbolizes America’s technological and commercial might than the iPhone. Sold at a rate of 220 million units per year, it’s a marvel of engineering — but it relies on Chinese materials and assembly lines. As made-in-China devices, iPhones faced tariffs as high as 200 percent. A phone priced at $1,500 could have soared to $4,500. Competing phones, also built abroad, would have seen similar spikes.

As Cook appealed to Trump, Apple’s stock was already down 25 percent — battered by tariff fears. Faced with a bleak future, Cook worked his personal persuasion, and the King granted Apple an exemption. Then, in an attempt to look magnanimous, Trump extended exemptions to every company assembling phones, computers, display screens, and tech hardware overseas. But like all tyrants, after showing "benevolence," King Donald made clear the reprieve could end at his whim. Best to keep the petitioners uneasy.

After the tech titans had their audience, it was the retailers’ turn. Top executives from Walmart, Home Depot, and Target made their way to the White House to plead their case. They warned that everyday consumers — the people they serve — know tariffs mean higher prices, and many are already pulling back on spending. Since personal consumption accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. GDP, when Americans stop buying, a recession soon follows.

When they emerged from their meetings — including a session with the King himself — the retailers struck the upbeat, deferential tone you'd expect from supplicants at court. They framed their mission as a selfless plea on behalf of consumers who’ve come to expect low prices fueled by global trade.

Other industries are now lining up. Retailers. Car companies. Farmers. Some are groveling before lower-level officials, hoping to earn an invitation to the King's inner circle. Relief may come for some, as Trump seems to be softening under the economic chaos he unleashed. Perhaps even he realizes that access to affordable goods — from toys to ironing boards — has helped sustain America’s middle class, even as real wages have barely budged over the last 45 years.

Still, many experts warn that King Trump’s decrees have already set inflationary fires that won't burn out quickly. As prices rise, even the King’s most loyal subjects — including millions of MAGA faithful — will feel the pain, just as the French peasantry did under Louis XVI. After Marie Antoinette infamously said of starving citizens, "Let them eat cake," the people rose up. The monarchy fell to revolution.

I don’t see a revolution coming — not yet. But as taxpayers foot the bill for the King’s endless golf outings while families struggle to afford the basics, anger will rise. We’ll see it in the town halls. In marches through the streets. And come summer, we might even see former MAGA hardliners in the crowd — some of them, perhaps, burning their red hats.