President Donald Trump posted another image that appears to depict himself as royalty in what becomes his second reference to monarchy in recent weeks.

As reported by The Independent, Trump shared an artificial intelligence-generated meme on Truth Social early Monday that was captioned "Kings!" featuring a lion wearing a crown and tuxedo with "MAGA" emblazoned across its chest.

The image showed the crowned lion positioned between an elephant labeled "GOP" representing Republicans and a donkey marked "DNC" representing Democrats in the background.

The president provided no additional context or commentary when resharing the supporter's post, which originally appeared on X in response to a video shared by Elon Musk showing stranded NASA astronauts expressing appreciation for Trump and Musk.

Second royal reference in a month

This marks the second time in approximately one month that Trump has associated himself with monarchical imagery or terminology.

On February 19, following his administration's successful effort to block new congestion pricing tolls for Manhattan drivers, Trump explicitly declared himself "king" in a Truth Social post. "CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD," he wrote at the time, adding "Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!"

The White House's official X account subsequently amplified this message by sharing a mock Time magazine cover featuring Trump wearing a crown with the caption matching his "long live the king" declaration.

Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich further embraced the royal theme by sharing another AI-generated image depicting the president in full royal regalia, complete with crown and cape.

Mixed reactions to royal references

New York Governor Kathy Hochul quickly criticized Trump's February royal self-reference while vowing to challenge the administration's congestion pricing decision: "We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king."

On the other hand, hosts on "Fox & Friends" defended the president's monarchical references, portraying them as deliberate provocations designed to bait Democrats. The show's commentators suggested Trump was "making fun" of his opponents and intentionally driving them "crazy" by offering "a little bait" through such statements and imagery.

Trump's earlier February statement came just days after he appeared to quote French dictator Napoleon Bonaparte in comments suggesting he considered himself above the law, adding further context to this pattern of royal and authoritarian references.

The original meme reshared by Trump on Monday was posted by X user @Donna_Twitting, who included it as a comment on Musk's video featuring NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. These astronauts are expected to return to Earth on Tuesday following their extended mission aboard the International Space Station.

Growing pattern of monarchical imagery

Trump's repeated use of royal symbolism represents an unusual departure from traditional American political messaging, which typically emphasizes democratic principles rather than monarchical or authoritarian imagery.

The president has now twice embraced being depicted with crowns or referred to as a king within a single month. While supporters characterize these references as humorous provocations, critics view them as concerning signals about Trump's view of executive power and authority.

The lion imagery in the most recent meme adds another dimension to Trump's royal self-portrayal. Lions have long served as symbols of royalty across numerous cultures, representing strength, nobility, and supreme authority – themes that align with Trump's previous statements about his leadership approach.

Royal references amid political challenges

Trump's royal references come during a busy period of domestic and international challenges facing his administration.

His Monday morning activity on Truth Social included numerous posts beyond just the royal meme, suggesting an active effort to communicate directly with supporters through social media. The congestion pricing issue that prompted his first "king" reference remains contested, with New York state officials continuing to fight for the implementation of the toll system intended to fund public transit improvements.

Meanwhile, the NASA astronauts mentioned in the context of the latest royal meme post are preparing for their return journey after an extended space mission that has drawn significant public attention. Their positive comments about Trump and Musk appear to have prompted the supporter's original "Kings!" meme that the president later shared.