British Scholar: "Trump Is the Emperor of the 21st Century... Everyone Pays Tribute"

Apple, Hyundai Motor Group and Others Make Donations to Trump
"American Presidency Has Created an 'Emperor'"

Niall Ferguson, a British economic historian who has served as a professor at prestigious universities such as Harvard University in the US and the London School of Economics (LSE), has drawn attention by referring to Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, as a "modern emperor." He pointed out that ancient Rome or China, which ruled numerous individual cultures directly or indirectly, and modern America appear to overlap.

In a recent article contributed to the American international politics magazine Foreign Policy, Ferguson called Trump the "Monarch of Mar-a-Lago." Mar-a-Lago is a villa located in Palm Beach, Florida, USA, and is also the residence of President-elect Trump. Earlier, when a victory celebration party for Trump's election win was held there, influential figures from around the world gathered in large numbers.

Historian Niall Ferguson (left) and President-elect of the United States Donald Trump. YouTube capture, AFP Yonhap News Agency

Ferguson said, "Trump's influence is more than just that of a president-elect," and added, "He is a king. American liberals have long feared that the American-style presidency would eventually create an 'emperor' like Napoleon or Augustus, and that has come true."

He cited the fact that global leaders, businesspeople, and celebrities flocked to Mar-a-Lago as evidence, stating, "All the world's CEOs pay tribute to President-elect Trump. Apple's Tim Cook contributed one million dollars (about 1.46 billion won), and Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg also showed their respect."

In fact, as Trump's inauguration approaches, global companies are quickly reconsidering their strategies. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, decided to abolish the fact-checking program on the platform and suspend diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Domestically, Hyundai Motor Group also donated one million dollars to President-elect Trump.

Trump's Mar-a-Lago Resort Exterior. Photo by AP Yonhap News

However, Ferguson saw clear limits to the "American-style monarchy." He explained, "Alexander Hamilton, the first US Secretary of the Treasury, originally wanted the president to have real monarch-like power. Once elected, he would rule for life and have veto power to permanently reject congressional demands. Instead, the US adopted a presidency with elections every four years and clear limits on veto power."

He continued, "When Trump is inaugurated on the 20th, the long-standing American presidency will function again. He will wield power through a majority in Congress until halfway through his term, but if he loses the majority in the midterm elections, his power will weaken. His authority, which now seems unlimited, will be deliberately restricted by the Constitution designed to prevent the 'emergence of a king.'"