**Title:** Presidential Hubris: A Comparison Between Trump and Louis XIV

In my three decades of studying Louis XIV's literature and culture, I never imagined an American president would model himself on the Sun King. Recently, a New York Times essay described the current Oval Office décor as a "gilded rococo hellscape," echoing the opulence of Louis XIV's reign. Traditionally, U.S. politics have resisted such royalist extravagance, and most Americans typically disdain the hubris and flashy style that characterized the French king's era.

When I have taken students to visit Versailles, their reactions reflect this sentiment. They often admire the château's massive scale and ambitious design, yet concur with the Duke de Saint-Simon’s harsh critique of Louis XIV, calling it "a masterpiece of bad taste." They perceive the king's taste as gaudy and over-the-top, mirroring similar feelings toward the current president's style.

Beyond decorative choices, the more troubling aspect is the administration's perception of executive authority, which mirrors the absolutist rhetoric that surrounded Louis XIV. The fawning adulation from sycophants in Trump's Cabinet eerily recalls the behavior of Versailles courtiers. Saint-Simon's posthumous Mémoires describe how the Sun King thrived on flattery, a vulnerability to manipulation that resonates with contemporary politics.

Despite these stylistic and behavioral similarities, Donald Trump's governance diverges significantly from that of Louis XIV. The Sun King invested heavily in science, technology, arts, and intellectual endeavors, founding several royal academies. Conversely, Trump has shown disdain for such fields, threatening cuts to institutions like the National Institutes of Health and the Kennedy Center, and even targeting Sesame Street’s Big Bird.

Louis XIV's legacy includes substantial infrastructure projects: roads, canals, ports, and paved streets. In stark contrast, Trump's administration has impeded infrastructure investment and threatens the National Park Service. The grandiosity of Versailles emerged from investment, not downsizing government employees.

Comparatively, Trump's leadership more closely resembles that of Louis XIV’s great-great-grandson, Louis XVI. Acceding to the throne by chance, married to a central European woman, Louis XVI struggled to match his ancestor's grandeur. His adherence to outdated absolutist principles ultimately led to his overthrow and execution. Ironically, Louis XVI's support for American rebels against the British facilitated the republic's birth.

In historical terms, Trump's admiration for Louis XIV might result in the American experiment in republican government thriving elsewhere. Such a shift could occur in a nation currently perceived as less advanced, where principles of law and resistance to authoritarianism hold more appeal than gilded extravagance.