Modern Grievances: Comparing Trump’s 2025 Actions to the Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence listed a bunch of complaints against King George III, mostly about him abusing power, ignoring laws, messing with representation, and controlling things unfairly. He refused to approve laws, dissolved colonial legislatures, taxed without consent, controlled judges, kept standing armies in peacetime, restricted trade, and started wars unjustly.

Looking at Trump’s actions in 2025, some of this looks familiar. He issued Executive Order 14169, pausing nearly all foreign aid for 90 days¹. That stopped hundreds of USAID contracts that Congress had already approved². A judge later said he overstepped his authority by doing that³. Critics say this is like the Founders’ complaint about a king refusing to follow laws and ignoring representative bodies⁴.

Trump has also used his power to freeze and redirect funds without Congressional approval⁵. That raises the same kind of concerns the Founders had about one person having too much power and ignoring checks and balances. Some people argue this also undermines institutions, like King George making judges dependent on him⁶.

Even in trade and foreign policy, there are parallels. By cutting aid programs, Trump reshaped foreign contracts and relationships in a way that feels like the king restricting trade⁷.

Of course, not everything lines up. Trump isn’t quartering troops in homes, giving colonists unfair trials, or hiring foreign mercenaries. Some 1776 complaints, like dissolving legislatures or transporting colonists overseas, don’t match today. But the bigger picture is clear: the Founders worried about unchecked power, and some of Trump’s actions today raise similar issues.

The takeaway isn’t that Trump is exactly like a king, but it’s a warning. When the executive branch starts ignoring laws and controlling funds without Congress, it reminds us why the Founders wanted checks and balances in the first place⁸.

Footnotes:

1. Wikipedia — “Executive Order 14169 (2025) pause on all foreign aid.” 

2. Politico, “Trump administration says it’s cutting 90% of USAID foreign aid contracts.” 

3. AP News, “Trump overstepped his constitutional authority in freezing Congress’s funding for USAID, judge says.” 

4. Gilder Lehrman Institute — “Annotated Grievances | The Declaration of Independence.” 

5. Wikipedia — “Rescissions Act of 2025.” 

6. 8values.cc, “27 Grievances of the Declaration of Independence.” 

7. MissDrummond’s summary, “27 Grievances — The Declaration of Independence.” 

8. The Philadelphia Inquirer — “The Founders’ 27 Grievances Echo in Trump’s ‘Royal Presidency’.” 

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