President Donald Trump was pleased with the Department of Transportation’s decision to withdraw approval for New York City’s contentious congestion pricing toll program. He expressed his satisfaction on the social media platform Truth Social, proclaiming himself as “the king.”
“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!” Trump said in the post.
The White House social media account shared the president’s statement, accompanied by an AI-generated image of a fabricated Time Magazine cover featuring Trump adorned with a crown against the backdrop of Manhattan.
New York started charging drivers a $9 toll for entering busy parts of Manhattan. The goal was to cut down on traffic in the area.
Officials in New Jersey, led by Governor Murphy, had been fighting the congestion pricing.
Despite Trump’s celebratory tone, Governor Hochul vehemently opposed the DOT’s action and the president’s comments. She made her objections known during a briefing on Wednesday, where she was joined by MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber.
“New York hasn’t labored under a king in over 250 years, and we sure as hell are not going to start now,” she said to applause while holding up the same image of Trump.
Hochul called the DOT’s attempt to block the program an attack on the state’s independence from Washington.
“It feels like the commuters of our city and our region are now the roadkill on Donald Trump’s revenge tour against New York,” Hochul said.
The governor vowed to fight back, invoking the spirit of New Yorkers in her mission to resist the actions of the Trump administration.
“In case you don’t know New Yorkers, when we’re in a fight, we do not back down — not now, not ever,” she said, adding that the state has “a lot of legal reasons why we know we’re going to be victorious.”
Hochul confirmed that the state has already taken legal action.
“Within minutes of receiving that letter, our MTA filed a lawsuit,” she said. “And let me be clear-the cameras are staying on. The tolls are staying on.”
President Trump wasn’t the only recipient of the governor’s fiery message. Hochul’s cross-state neighbor, Gov. Murphy, also found himself in the crosshairs after he asked the president and his administration on Trump’s first day in office to “reexamine” the highly debated congestion pricing plan and its impact on the Garden State.
“They actually cited the will of New Jersey. Since when does New Jersey get to dictate what happens in New York?” Gov. Hochul said.
In response to Murphy’s letter to Trump, Hochul told reporters last month that if the congestion pricing plan is ultimately killed, “that comes with $15 billion more” the federal government will need to give to New York.
Hochul touted the success of the program on Wednesday, saying that congestion has “dropped dramatically” since the congestion pricing went into effect last month.
Lieber echoed Hochul’s stance, highlighting the program’s early success.
“Traffic was down 9% in January, with 1.2 million fewer vehicles entering the central business district,” he said. “Bus speeds are up, crashes are down, and pedestrian traffic in business areas has surged. This is working.”
Lieber also pushed back on claims that congestion pricing would hurt businesses.
“Restaurant reservations are up 7%, Broadway grosses are up 25%, and commercial office leasing jumped 61% in January compared to last year,” he said. “People want to be in New York.”
Copyright © 2025 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
