Comparing Donald Trump to a king has become a rallying cry for his political opponents—and now a prominent member of the president’s own party.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul appeared on Russell Brand’s Stay Free podcast and said that the president may be remembered more for his executive power grabs than his policymaking.
“I think if we step back and we look at the Trump administration and Trump in history, the big debate will be over executive power,” Paul said when Brand asked him on the Wednesday episode what would define the second Trump presidency.
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“This isn’t a new debate. We had it with the Kings of England. We tried to form a republic where we limited the power of the executive,” Paul told the alleged rapist and comedian.
In addition to critiquing Trump’s approach to executive power, Paul criticized Trump’s focus on reducing trade with China.
In June, millions of Americans took to the streets in “No Kings Day” protests, alleging that Trump had defied court orders, attacked civil liberties, and amassed wealth through his executive position.
The protests, which were organized to coincide with Trump’s birthday, included an estimated 1.8% of all Americans and were referred to as the largest set of single-day demonstrations in American history.
Trump has referred to himself as a king as well. In February, he declared, “long live the king” as he celebrated his administration’s move to kill congestion pricing in New York City.
On the Rumble podcast, Paul focused his critique of Trump’s legacy mostly on the president’s economic policies.
“Basically, one of the big items I think he will be remembered for is tariffs,” Paul said. “But it’s not tariffs being done through Congress, it’s tariffs being done by royal edict or executive edict.”
The day after Paul’s comments, Trump imposed a slew of new tariffs on American trading partners. That move, combined with his firing of the head statistician of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, sent markets into a tailspin over the weekend.
“If you look at tariffs, they’re simply a tax... he’s completely done an end-run around Congress,” Paul said, referring to the traditional role of the House of Representatives in regulating taxes.
“I think the debate over how much power the executive has will be what he’s remembered for.”
Since 1934, the president has had broad statutory latitude to impose tariffs on other nations. However, Trump has used tariffs more than any of his predecessors, leveraging them to pressure other countries to accede to his demands.
Paul, who is an avowed deficit hawk, also clashed with Trump in the run-up to the passage of the GOP’s costly Big Beautiful Bill in July. Paul voted against the bill, citing its additions to the deficit, and Trump attacked Paul for “never [having] any practical or constructive ideas.”
The Kentuckian will next face re-election in 2028, a challenge he might spurn for a run at higher office: his name has been floated as a potential presidential candidate in GOP circles.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
