The Crown, the Jet, and the Spectacle — America’s Fractured Dream
By Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada
It was not merely a video — it was a reflection of an age, a twenty-second digital dream where vanity outweighed truth, and irony revealed more reality than satire. Donald Trump appeared wearing a crown, seated in the cockpit of a fighter jet emblazoned in gold letters: “King Trump.”
Below him, on the streets of New York, thousands of citizens chanted, “No Kings!” as the aircraft soared to the rhythm of Kenny Loggins’ Danger Zone. When it reached the city’s skyline, the jet released a stream of brown liquid—clearly resembling excrement—onto the protesting crowd.
It was no parody. It was a symbolic assault on the soul of democracy — the very democracy that had once been born from humanity’s flight from monarchy. That same night, from Vice President J.D. Vance’s account, another AI-generated twenty-second video appeared. This time, Trump was shown crowned and seated on a throne, unsheathing a sword as a crowd of subjects bowed before him. The caption beneath read: “Have a good night everyone.”
It was the same night when, across all fifty states, millions marched under banners that read “No Kings.”
Black, white, Asian, Hispanic — all stood together, holding placards that declared their refusal to kneel before power. Their slogans echoed across America’s streets:
“I Pledge Allegiance to No King.”
“Democracy, not Monarchy.”
“The Constitution is not optional.”
“This is what democracy looks like.”
But from above, a different message descended — “This is what power prefers.”
The rain that fell from the digital skies was not filth; it was arrogance. It was the laughter of authority mocking the wounds of its own people. Yet, the crowds below remained steadfast, their banners raised toward the heavens, declaring that America did not need a king — it needed justice.
Senator Bernie Sanders addressed the crowd, saying, “We are not here because we hate America. We are here because we love America.” Those words were not mere rhetoric; they were the nation’s conscience speaking aloud — a reminder that when power begins to see itself as royal, the people’s love becomes rebellion. It was not the voice of a politician, but the confession of an era — that love never demands obedience; it demands questions. And questions, not silence, are what keep a republic alive.
The protest was the living soul of America’s 250-year democratic journey — a country built upon Abraham Lincoln’s immortal words: “A government of the people, by the people, for the people.” And yet, on that night, a king’s jet roared above the republic’s sky. The laughter in the video, the music’s rhythm, the glint of the crown — together they became the new symbols of politics, where power outweighs ethics, and mockery overshadows truth.
When Fox News asked President Trump for his response, he laughed and said, “They’re calling me a king. I’m not a king.” Perhaps history has already carved that line into its own skin, because when power insists “I am not a king,” it usually sits upon a throne. The crown may change, but the impulse remains.
America’s history has never been free of contradictions. It is the land where the passengers of the Mayflower sowed the first seeds of hope, where the first Thanksgiving was born as a symbol of gratitude and endurance, yet it was also a land that watered its soil with the blood of indigenous tribes. It is the same country where Harriet Tubman led slaves to freedom in the dark of night, where Sojourner Truth asked, “Ain’t I a Woman?”, where Rosa Parks changed history by refusing to surrender her seat, and where Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed of an America judged not by color, but by character.
But today, that same nation seems to be laughing at its own dream. A fighter jet bearing the name of a king flies above citizens waving the American flag in protest. This is no accident, but a psychological reflection — a society so intoxicated with its own spectacle that it has shattered its moral mirror. Trump’s video was not just political mockery; it was a prophecy of the digital monarchy to come — a world where politicians see themselves as saviors, and citizens search for freedom through hashtags and outrage.
America was once a country built by everyone. Every race, every faith, every immigrant contributed to its foundation — from Africa’s chains to Asia’s hopes, from the Irish and Italians to Mexicans, Pakistanis, and Arabs. It was not just geography — it was an idea, a promise, a shared dream. But today, the politics of division has dulled that dream. Power has weakened unity, and religion and race have transformed the “United States” into “Divided States.”
Trump’s supporters dismissed the No Kings march as a “Hate America Rally.” When asked for comment, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson replied curtly: “Who cares?” Two words — Who cares — perhaps define America today: a nation that can no longer hear itself over the applause of its own noise.
The United States no longer needs another political victory; it needs a moral awakening. The country that once rose against slavery, that granted women the right to vote, and that welcomed refugees from around the world as a beacon of hope, must now remind itself that democracy is not sustained by thrones, but by equality. The crown crafted today by artificial intelligence could become real tomorrow — if the people stop asking questions.
This is the moment when history holds its breath. Is this the same nation whose Declaration of Independence once declared, “All men are created equal”? Or has it become nothing more than a social media post? History never remains silent. One day, a chronicler will write: “The President of the United States once shared an AI video dropping waste upon his own citizens, while his Vice President posted another depicting him drawing a sword before kneeling subjects.” That historian will also write: “It was the day when power defeated ethics, and democracy mocked itself.”
But perhaps, the same record will carry another line: “It was also the day when America rediscovered the soul of its Constitution — the realization that this land belongs not to one man, but to all.”
This is today’s America — where the echoes of freedom’s bells blend with the whispers of authoritarian satire. Where the White House no longer shines white, but glows with the artificial shimmer of a digital crown. Where peaceful protest is branded as treason, and truth-tellers are labeled as enemies. It is the oldest story in power’s book — every king first silences dissent, then names it betrayal.
And thus, in the world’s greatest democracy, what unfolds is not democracy at all, but the return of monarchy — reborn through algorithms and applause. The crown may gleam, but history’s mirror gleams brighter.
If America seeks redemption, it must return to the vision of its founders — a nation built not on power, but on justice, knowledge, and humanity. Power fades. Justice endures. And the truth remains eternal:
America belongs not to one man — but to all of us.
He is the Editor-in-Chief of The Jago Times, a bilingual U.S.-based newspaper with a global readership.
Renowned for his fearless commentary and incisive analysis, he has written extensively on geopolitics, diplomacy, human rights, and the South Asian diaspora.
This article is the English translation of his original Urdu column.
