Only Donald Trump could turn royal hospitality into a backhanded compliment. Weeks after dining with King Charles, a new clip of the president cracking a sly remark about the monarch has social media wondering—was that shade, or just Trump being Trump?
In the clip, Trump casually downplays the king’s day-to-day responsibilities, setting off a wave of reactions online, with some calling it peak Trump sarcasm or jealousy.
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A clip circulating online shows Trump responding to questions about the nationwide No Kings Day demonstrations on Oct. 18.
The 79-year-old commander-in-chief was attempting to distance himself from monarchical comparisons when he declared to reporters, “I’m not a king. I work my a— off to make our country great. That’s all it is. I’m not a king at all.” But the internet had receipts, and they weren’t pretty.
The comment landed with a thud on social media, where users immediately pointed out the awkward timing.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: "I'm not a king. I work my ass off to make our country great." pic.twitter.com/Bf8xeBZbLC
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 20, 2025
Just one month earlier, from Sept. 16 to 18, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump had been guests of King Charles III and Queen Camilla during an elaborate state visit to the United Kingdom. The trip featured unprecedented pageantry, including the largest guard of honor in living memory with 120 horses and 1,300 troops, carriage rides, aerial displays, and a state banquet at Windsor Castle.
One person wrote, “Kings don’t work???? That’s a nasty backstab to your good mate Charles!!!”
Another user explained the perceived slight more directly: “Some Kings are his friend, he just says Kings don’t work, so he is saying something bad about his friends, ie, backstabbing.”
Some Kings are his friend, he just saying Kings don't work so he is saying something bad about his friends ie backstabbing.
— Matthew(Matt) (@Allusionalley) October 20, 2025
The criticism didn’t stop there, with some referencing a viral clip that the president had shared on his Truth Social platform.
“‘I’m not a king’ says the guy who posted an AI video of himself in a crown [dumping] on protesters. What a time to be alive,” another social media user observed, referencing a recent clip the president had shared online after the march.
Another said, “King Charles would not be standing so close to the [T]RUMP if he knew the [T]RUMP’S reputation for expelling intestinal windage with quite an odor. Whew, the stench.”
Many pointed out that Trump often shares memes and posts of himself dressed as king with a crown. Still, one wondered, “Work…? Someone is going to have to explain this so-called ‘work’ he does.”
Another said, “Bold face LIE! He doesn’t even work his [behind] off at “playing” golf which is where he is at 7 days a week with a babysitter with him.”
Trump posted an AI video of himself wearing a crown and dumping shit from a “King Trump” jet on No Kings protesters.
This is where we are as a country. pic.twitter.com/rnzUkJ4C4K
— PatriotTakes
(@patriottakes) October 19, 2025
During the state visit, Trump had been effusive in his praise for the British monarch. At the Windsor Castle banquet, he lauded the “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom, calling it “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
Before the trip, Trump had gushed about his relationship with Charles and Queen Camilla, saying, according to People, “They’re friends of mine for a long time, since before he was king. And it’s an honor to have him as King. I think he represents the country so well. He’s such an elegant gentleman.”
After returning to the U.S., Trump held another meeting where he was asked about the gold renovations to the White House, which he couldn’t stop bragging about. Some people believe his response was made out of pure “jealousy.”
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One person said, “He went to Buckingham Palace and got jealous of Charles III, King of Great Britain having palaces and castles. The White House paled in comparison in Trump’s twisted mind. So here we are.”
The irony wasn’t lost on observers that Trump’s defense against being called a king came amid his own flirtations with royal imagery.
In February 2025, after ending New York City’s congestion pricing program, he posted on social media: “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!” The White House amplified the message with a computer-generated image showing Trump wearing a golden crown on a fake Time magazine cover.
The backlash highlights the delicate balance Trump faces between embracing grandiose symbolism and maintaining democratic credentials, especially as thousands gathered across the country for No Kings Day demonstrations.
‘Bold Face Lie’: Trump’s Raw Comparison to King Charles Has Critics Saying He Finally Took It Too Far