Trump’s “Long live the king!” Post in Philadelphia is Condemned by Jamie Gauthier in a City Council Resolution
On Thursday, Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier presented a resolution to the City Council condemning President Donald Trump, a 1968 Wharton graduate, for calling himself a king.
At the City Council meeting on February 20, Gauthier, who represents University City in Philadelphia’s third district, introduced the resolution. Trump took action in response to a Truth Social post on February 19 in which he exclaimed, “Long live the king!” in honor of the Department of Transportation’s decision to revoke its approval of New York’s congestion pricing system.
In addition, Trump’s statement and a parody of a TIME magazine cover featuring the president with a golden crown were posted on official White House social media accounts.
In a press release announcing the resolution, Gauthier stated, “A president’s words matter, but President Trump’s actions prove that he truly sees himself more like a monarch than a president.” During her speech at the City Council meeting on Thursday, Gauthier called Trump’s post “outright dangerous,” “abnormal,” and “inappropriate.”
The resolution condemned Trump for comparing himself to “a monarch” and condemned the policies of his second administration, including the Declaration of Independence’s wording and Philadelphia’s involvement in the American Revolution.
Gauthier’s office issued a statement on the resolution, saying, “As the birthplace of American democracy and the city where this nation rejected the tyranny of a king, it is paramount that Philadelphia calls out this assault on the constitution and reaffirm how abnormal, inappropriate, and dangerous it is for a President of the United States to liken himself to, and act like, a king.”
Gauthier’s speech also criticized several of the president’s actions during his first month in office, including Trump’s executive orders that pushed back federal funding and his plan to remove birthright citizenship.
“Just a month into his term, President Trump overreached his executive power on several occasions: he tried to overturn the constitutional right to birthright citizenship, shuttered federal agencies and programs enshrined into law by Congress, and declared himself above the law,” Gauthier stated in her press release.
Since taking office in January, Trump has signed several executive orders, many of which have been challenged in federal court and go beyond constitutional grounds.
During the meeting, members of the Council criticized other executive branch actions, including those of the Department of Governmental Efficiency, which is currently headed by Elon Musk, a 1997 College and Wharton graduate.
Council members criticized the agency for carrying out cuts and layoffs that will harm departments and programs across Philadelphia, especially in the preparations for the semiquincentennial—the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
“Federal cuts by DOGE will cost thousands of jobs and $200 million in funding for our city. This will impact small business, service sector jobs, and tourism, especially as we head towards our celebration of the 250 years of independence,” City Councilmember Kendra Brooks stated
“This right here is unprecedented, is unconstitutional, and unacceptable,” Brooks added.
**
Penn Men’s Basketball Streak Hits Five Losses with Defeat at Brown
The Quakers hoped to finish the road trip weekend in a better mood after their match against Brown, following a heartbreaking close game against Yale the previous evening. However, the Penn men’s basketball team lost to Brown 82-72 without ever taking the lead.
“I thought we were just very inconsistent on the defensive end and, at times, on the offensive end,” coach Steve Donahue said. “[We were] just not playing up [to] how well you have to play to win on the road.”
The Quakers (6-16, 2-7 Ivy) battled to keep up with Brown in an intense first half, but they could not overtake the Bears (12-10, 4-5), and they ended the half four points behind.
While teammate forward Landon Lewis held Penn at bay with a strong block on Penn junior guard/forward Ethan Roberts, Brown guard Alexander Lesburt Jr. scored the first four points. Roberts, however, was unfazed by that and scored Penn’s first points with a driving layup.
With his first three-pointer of the game, star Brown guard Kino Lilly Jr. reached a significant milestone, topping 1800 points in his career. With 23 points overall, he ultimately appeared as his team’s top scorer.
Lewis also had an impressive game with 20 points, five blocks, and seven rebounds. In this game, Lewis and Lilly Jr. were an unbeatable duo.
“I thought [Lilly] got loose in the second half,” Donahue said. “We did not do a good job, and he got some open looks. … I give [Lewis] credit. He made some difficult shots at times, but if you’re going to win on the road, you try to hold the best players down better than we did.”
Nick Spinoso, a senior forward/center, made a layup seven minutes into the first half to tie the score between the Quakers and the Bears, a tie that never happened again. Spinoso made a three-pointer on Penn’s following possession to cut the deficit to one point, and four minutes later, he replicated his signature hook to make the score 26-28.
Aggression on both sides of the brown-and-red court increased during the second half of the match. The Quakers were able to stay close to the Bears because of their significant advantage in free throws.
The Quakers went on a seven-point run, developing plenty of momentum to stay in the game after Lilly Jr. tripled to extend Brown’s lead to nine points, the Bears’ largest lead to date. Roberts went 3-for-3 at the line after hitting the floor during a three-pointer attempt. When Brown got the ball back, senior guard George Smith made a steal, resulting in an important fast break and tip into the hoop for two more points. Roberts’ massive overhead pass to sophomore guard Sam Brown, who completed the play with an impressive reverse layup and pump fake, was the play’s peak.
Late in the second half, Penn benefited from a seven-point play that was started by Brown forward N’famara Dabo’s flagrant foul. Dabo roughly hit Spinoso with a hard forearm after sophomore guard/forward Niklas Polonowski made a three-pointer, which was ruled a flagrant foul penalty. Roberts completed the seven-point play with a three-point swisher, and Penn took advantage of their possession of the ball after Spinoso drained one of his two attempts at the charity stripe.
Penn lost to the Bears 82-72 at the end of the game, unable to overcome them despite these strong plays.
Brown, his teammate, and Roberts both had outstanding scoring performances. Roberts finished with 26 points and three rebounds, while the latter finished with 19 points, two defensive rebounds, and six of six free throws.
On February 21, Penn men’s basketball will play Dartmouth at the Palestra.
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Trump’s “Long live the king!” Post in Philadelphia is Condemned by Jamie Gauthier in a City Council Resolution
On Thursday, Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier presented a resolution to the City Council condemning President Donald Trump, a 1968 Wharton graduate, for calling himself a king.
At the City Council meeting on February 20, Gauthier, who represents University City in Philadelphia’s third district, introduced the resolution. Trump took action in response to a Truth Social post on February 19 in which he exclaimed, “Long live the king!” in honor of the Department of Transportation’s decision to revoke its approval of New York’s congestion pricing system.
In addition, Trump’s statement and a parody of a TIME magazine cover featuring the president with a golden crown were posted on official White House social media accounts.
In a press release announcing the resolution, Gauthier stated, “A president’s words matter, but President Trump’s actions prove that he truly sees himself more like a monarch than a president.” During her speech at the City Council meeting on Thursday, Gauthier called Trump’s post “outright dangerous,” “abnormal,” and “inappropriate.”
The resolution condemned Trump for comparing himself to “a monarch” and condemned the policies of his second administration, including the Declaration of Independence’s wording and Philadelphia’s involvement in the American Revolution.
Gauthier’s office issued a statement on the resolution, saying, “As the birthplace of American democracy and the city where this nation rejected the tyranny of a king, it is paramount that Philadelphia calls out this assault on the constitution and reaffirm how abnormal, inappropriate, and dangerous it is for a President of the United States to liken himself to, and act like, a king.”
Gauthier’s speech also criticized several of the president’s actions during his first month in office, including Trump’s executive orders that pushed back federal funding and his plan to remove birthright citizenship.
“Just a month into his term, President Trump overreached his executive power on several occasions: he tried to overturn the constitutional right to birthright citizenship, shuttered federal agencies and programs enshrined into law by Congress, and declared himself above the law,” Gauthier stated in her press release.
Since taking office in January, Trump has signed several executive orders, many of which have been challenged in federal court and go beyond constitutional grounds.
During the meeting, members of the Council criticized other executive branch actions, including those of the Department of Governmental Efficiency, which is currently headed by Elon Musk, a 1997 College and Wharton graduate.
Council members criticized the agency for carrying out cuts and layoffs that will harm departments and programs across Philadelphia, especially in the preparations for the semiquincentennial—the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
“Federal cuts by DOGE will cost thousands of jobs and $200 million in funding for our city. This will impact small business, service sector jobs, and tourism, especially as we head towards our celebration of the 250 years of independence,” City Councilmember Kendra Brooks stated
“This right here is unprecedented, is unconstitutional, and unacceptable,” Brooks added.
**
Penn Men’s Basketball Streak Hits Five Losses with Defeat at Brown
The Quakers hoped to finish the road trip weekend in a better mood after their match against Brown, following a heartbreaking close game against Yale the previous evening. However, the Penn men’s basketball team lost to Brown 82-72 without ever taking the lead.
“I thought we were just very inconsistent on the defensive end and, at times, on the offensive end,” coach Steve Donahue said. “[We were] just not playing up [to] how well you have to play to win on the road.”
The Quakers (6-16, 2-7 Ivy) battled to keep up with Brown in an intense first half, but they could not overtake the Bears (12-10, 4-5), and they ended the half four points behind.
While teammate forward Landon Lewis held Penn at bay with a strong block on Penn junior guard/forward Ethan Roberts, Brown guard Alexander Lesburt Jr. scored the first four points. Roberts, however, was unfazed by that and scored Penn’s first points with a driving layup.
With his first three-pointer of the game, star Brown guard Kino Lilly Jr. reached a significant milestone, topping 1800 points in his career. With 23 points overall, he ultimately appeared as his team’s top scorer.
Lewis also had an impressive game with 20 points, five blocks, and seven rebounds. In this game, Lewis and Lilly Jr. were an unbeatable duo.
“I thought [Lilly] got loose in the second half,” Donahue said. “We did not do a good job, and he got some open looks. … I give [Lewis] credit. He made some difficult shots at times, but if you’re going to win on the road, you try to hold the best players down better than we did.”
Nick Spinoso, a senior forward/center, made a layup seven minutes into the first half to tie the score between the Quakers and the Bears, a tie that never happened again. Spinoso made a three-pointer on Penn’s following possession to cut the deficit to one point, and four minutes later, he replicated his signature hook to make the score 26-28.
Aggression on both sides of the brown-and-red court increased during the second half of the match. The Quakers were able to stay close to the Bears because of their significant advantage in free throws.
The Quakers went on a seven-point run, developing plenty of momentum to stay in the game after Lilly Jr. tripled to extend Brown’s lead to nine points, the Bears’ largest lead to date. Roberts went 3-for-3 at the line after hitting the floor during a three-pointer attempt. When Brown got the ball back, senior guard George Smith made a steal, resulting in an important fast break and tip into the hoop for two more points. Roberts’ massive overhead pass to sophomore guard Sam Brown, who completed the play with an impressive reverse layup and pump fake, was the play’s peak.
Late in the second half, Penn benefited from a seven-point play that was started by Brown forward N’famara Dabo’s flagrant foul. Dabo roughly hit Spinoso with a hard forearm after sophomore guard/forward Niklas Polonowski made a three-pointer, which was ruled a flagrant foul penalty. Roberts completed the seven-point play with a three-point swisher, and Penn took advantage of their possession of the ball after Spinoso drained one of his two attempts at the charity stripe.
Penn lost to the Bears 82-72 at the end of the game, unable to overcome them despite these strong plays.
Brown, his teammate, and Roberts both had outstanding scoring performances. Roberts finished with 26 points and three rebounds, while the latter finished with 19 points, two defensive rebounds, and six of six free throws.
On February 21, Penn men’s basketball will play Dartmouth at the Palestra.