COLUMN: When Pelosi Accuses Trump of Thinking He’s a King and No One Says a Word

When Words Become Reality

But what does it actually mean, in concrete terms, for a president to “crown himself king”? Pelosi isn’t talking about a ceremony at Versailles with a scepter and an ermine cloak. She’s talking about absolute power, unilateral decisions, and contempt for checks and balances. Since his return to the White House in January 2025, Trump has been issuing a flurry of executive orders, bypassing Congress, and appointing loyalists to every key position. He has placed loyalists on the Supreme Court, at the FBI, and in the Department of Justice. He controls the law enforcement apparatus, the judiciary, and the conservative media. Fox News has become his official mouthpiece. Republicans in Congress vote as a bloc for him, without discussion or debate. House Speaker Mike Johnson has become his vassal. Pelosi is right: Congress has abolished itself. It no longer fulfills its role as a check on executive power. It has become a rubber-stamp chamber.

And now I find myself wondering: how did we get here? How can a democracy more than two centuries old transform into an elective monarchy in just a few years? Because that’s exactly what we’re talking about. Trump isn’t just governing. He’s reigning. He decides alone, he appoints his inner circle, he punishes his enemies, and he rewards his friends. It’s nepotism, cronyism, and outright authoritarianism. And no one says a word. Or almost no one.

When Elected Officials Abandon Their Responsibilities

Pelosi claims that Congress “has abolished itself.” That is a terrible accusation. The U.S. Congress is supposed to be the heart of democracy, the place for debate, deliberation, and compromise. It is where laws are passed, budgets are decided, and wars are declared. But today, Congress is paralyzed. The Republicans, who hold majorities in both the House and the Senate, refuse to cross Trump. They vote for his bills without reading them, approve his nominations without questioning them, and turn a blind eye to his abuses. The Democrats, a divided minority, are shouting into the void. They file motions, hold hearings, and publish reports. No one is listening. The media barely covers it. The public doesn’t care. Congress has become a shadow theater, a phantom institution that pretends to exist but no longer has any real power.

I look at these elected officials—these senators, these representatives—who swore an oath to defend the Constitution, and I wonder: where has their courage gone? Where has their dignity gone? They’re afraid of Trump, afraid of losing their seats, afraid of being insulted on Twitter. So they stay silent. They bow their heads. They obey. And meanwhile, democracy is slowly dying.

When Justice Becomes Politics

Pelosi doesn’t stop at Congress. She’s also taking aim at the Supreme Court, which she calls a “rogue” court. That’s a strong word—a shocking one. The Supreme Court is supposed to be the most respected institution, the most neutral, the one most above the fray. But since Trump appointed three conservative justices—Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett—the Court has shifted to the right. It has overturned the right to abortion, weakened minority rights, upheld restrictive voting laws, and protected corporations from environmental regulations. Above all, it has granted President Trump near-total immunity in several legal cases. In July 2024, it ruled that a president cannot be prosecuted for acts committed in the course of his duties. A historic decision that makes Trump untouchable. Pelosi is right: the Court has become rogue. It no longer upholds the law. It defends Trump.

And that makes me sick. Because justice is all we have left when politics fails. It’s the last bulwark against arbitrariness, against tyranny. But if justice itself is corrupt, if judges are appointed for their political loyalty rather than their competence, then we’re screwed. Really screwed.

A president who can’t stand any criticism

Trump was quick to respond to Pelosi’s accusations. As always, he grabbed his phone and posted on Truth Social. “Nancy Pelosi, the broken-down old politician who impeached me twice and lost, is finally calling it ‘over.’ She made a fortune illegally on the stock market, scammed the American people, and has been a disaster for America. I’m glad to see the stench of Nancy Pelosi go,” he wrote in November 2025. Since then, he has never stopped attacking her, ridiculing her, and calling her every name in the book. For Trump, Pelosi is a personal enemy—a woman who dared to challenge him, contradict him, and impeach him. He will never forgive her. And now that she’s accusing him of thinking he’s a king, he’s going to ramp up his verbal attacks. That’s his method: attack, insult, humiliate. Never admit fault, never apologize, never back down.

And you know what? It works. It works because people love the spectacle, love the clash, love watching two old enemies tear each other apart in public. But while we watch the show, while we comment, like, and share, democracy is dying. And nobody is doing anything about it.

When a Country Loses Its Soul

Pelosi speaks of a “crisis of conscience.” That’s exactly what it is. America is losing its soul. It is forgetting what makes it a democracy: the separation of powers, the rule of law, respect for institutions, freedom of the press, the right to protest, and the right to vote. All of this is crumbling, slowly but surely. Trump isn’t the only one to blame. There are also the Republicans who support him, the media that glorify him, and the voters who idolize him. There are also the Democrats who failed to offer a credible alternative, who became divided over secondary issues, and who lost touch with the working class. There are also the institutions that have failed: the FBI, the Department of Justice, the courts. Everyone bears some responsibility. But Trump is the catalyst, the accelerator, the symbol of this drift toward authoritarianism.

I’m not American, but this story moves me. Because America is, after all, the country that invented modern democracy, that wrote a Constitution that inspired the entire world, that fought against fascism and communism. And now, it is sinking into authoritarianism. It’s tragic. It’s outrageous. It’s terrifying.

When Veterans Leave the Battlefield

Nancy Pelosi is 85 years old. She announced in November 2025 that she would not seek reelection in 2026. After nearly forty years in Congress, after serving twice as Speaker of the House, and after facing off against four Republican presidents, she is bowing out. Her departure marks the end of an era. Pelosi belongs to a generation of politicians who still believed in compromise, dialogue, and respect for institutions. She fought Trump with every legal weapon at her disposal: impeachment, congressional investigations, and impassioned speeches. But she lost. Trump has returned to power, stronger than ever. And now, she’s leaving—exhausted, disappointed, and bitter. She leaves behind a weakened Congress, a divided Democratic Party, and a democracy in tatters. Her final speech at the Washington Press Club is a cry of alarm, a political testament, a solemn warning. But who is listening?

I think of her, this woman who gave everything for her country, who sacrificed her personal life, her health, her peace of mind, to defend the values she believed in. And I tell myself that she deserves better than this. She deserves better than to leave while watching her country sink into authoritarianism. She deserves better than to see Trump triumph. But that’s life. Sometimes, the bad guys win. And it hurts.

When News Becomes Entertainment

The American media bear a huge responsibility in this crisis. Fox News, Newsmax, and OAN broadcast Trumpist propaganda on a loop. They portray Trump as a hero, a savior, a genius. They attack his opponents, ridicule Democrats, and deny the scandals. On the other side, CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, and The Washington Post denounce Trump, investigate his abuses, and expose his lies. But they’re preaching to the choir. Their viewership is declining, their credibility is being questioned, and their influence is limited. And in between, there are social media platforms, where misinformation, conspiracy theories, and fake news reign supreme. Trump has this ecosystem perfectly under control. He tweets, posts, shares, and comments. He creates his own reality, his own narrative, his own truth. And millions of Americans believe him. Traditional media are overwhelmed, powerless, obsolete.

And we, in France, watch this from afar, telling ourselves that it will never happen to us. But we’re wrong. Because what’s happening in America today could happen anywhere tomorrow. Authoritarianism, populism, and misinformation are viruses that spread. And we’re not immune.

What’s going to happen now?

So, what’s going to happen now? Trump will continue to rule like a king. Congress will continue to take a back seat. The Supreme Court will continue to uphold his decisions. The conservative media will continue to glorify him. The Democrats will continue to protest to no avail. And America will continue to drift toward authoritarianism. The 2026 midterm elections will be crucial. If the Democrats retake the House, they’ll be able to rein in Trump, launch new investigations, and block his bills. But if the Republicans hold onto their majority, Trump will have free rein for the last two years of his term. And then, anything could happen. Pelosi predicts that the Democrats will win in 2026. She says that Americans will wake up, that they’ll understand the danger, that they’ll vote to save democracy. But is that realistic? Will Americans really mobilize? Or will they stay home, resigned, indifferent, numb?

Honestly, I don’t know. I’d like to believe that democracy will survive, that the institutions will hold, that citizens will wake up. But I’m afraid. I’m afraid because history has taught us that democracies can die, that dictatorships can arise, that people can accept the unacceptable. And I don’t want that to happen. Not in America. Not now.

The moment of truth is approaching

Nancy Pelosi has issued a warning. She said that Trump has crowned himself king, that Congress has abolished itself, and that the Supreme Court has become a rogue institution. She said that America is in a crisis of conscience. And she’s right. On every point. But the question is: what do we do now? Do we keep scrolling, commenting, and expressing outrage on social media? Or do we take action? Do we mobilize? Do we take to the streets? Do we vote? Do we resist? Because if we do nothing, if we let this happen, if we accept the unacceptable, then we’ll be complicit. Complicit in the death of American democracy. Complicit in the rise of authoritarianism. Complicit in Trump’s triumph. And that, I refuse. I refuse to stay silent. I refuse to give up. I refuse to accept that a man thinks he’s a king in the country that invented modern democracy.

Pelosi is stepping down. She’s served her time, she’s fought her fight, she’s said what she had to say. Now it’s up to us to take up the torch. It’s up to us to defend democracy, protect our institutions, and resist authoritarianism. Because if we don’t do it, no one else will. And in a few years, we’ll wonder how we could have let this happen. How we could have stood idly by while democracy died before our very eyes. I don’t want to have to ask myself that question. How about you?

Signed, Jacques Provost