Straight White American Jesus No Kings: The Dangerous Lie That America’s President Was Meant to Be a Monarch
Mar 24, 2026
A sharp critique of claims that the American presidency was meant to be a king. Discussion of how appeals to the "common good" can be used to justify centralized, authoritarian power. Examination of integralist ideas that urge law to enforce a singular moral order. A call to defend democratic limits and resist religious or monarchic justifications for concentrated authority.
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Claim That The President Is A King
- Christian nationalist commentators claim the U.S. presidency is essentially a monarch to legitimize authoritarian rule.
- Brad Onishi traces this claim to appeals to Thomas Aquinas and Polybius that recast mixed government as justification for a powerful single ruler.
Aquinas Argument Oversimplified
- Michael Knowles argues the founders built a mixed regime following Aquinas, so the president has a kingly aspect.
- Onishi notes this simplifies centuries of debate about Aquinas and omits nuances about monarchy versus mixed regimes.
Common Good Used To Justify Authoritarianism
- Advocates shift the debate from democratic legitimacy to the 'common good', allowing non-democratic regimes to claim moral authority.
- Onishi warns this reframes democracy as optional when rulers claim superior knowledge of the common good.