Protests or Propoganda?

On October 18, 2025, waves of protesters flooded streets across the United States under the banner of the "No Kings" movement, decrying what they perceive as an authoritarian slide under President Donald J. Trump's administration. Billed as a non-violent uprising against a supposed "power grab," these rallies drew participants in major cities like New York, Washington D.C., and Portland, with organizers claiming millions turned out in over 2,700 locations nationwide. Chants of "This is what democracy looks like" echoed from coast to coast, led by figures like comedian Kathy Griffin in Malibu and even anti-Trump stalwart George Conway in D.C. Yet, beneath the costumes and megaphones, the "No Kings" spectacle reveals itself as less a defense of democracy and more a bizarre rejection of the very rule of law that keeps society intact—and a hypocritical dismissal of the democratic process that duly elected Trump in the first place.

A Nationwide Spectacle with Questionable Scale

The protests, the second major wave organized by the progressive "No Kings" network, spanned all 50 states and even trickled into international solidarity events. In New York City alone, organizers boasted of "tens of thousands" flooding the streets, though NYPD estimates pegged the crowd at around 100,000—impressive for a single event, but a mere 1.2% of the city's 8.4 million residents. Richmond, Virginia, saw thousands gather at Capitol Square, while Portland's rally devolved into chaos as pro-Trump counter-protesters reported harassment and assaults simply for walking through a public park.

Social media buzzed with viral moments: A MAGA-hat-wearing attendee in Athens, Georgia, strolled unchallenged through the crowd, turning heads but drawing no ire. In Minneapolis, one protester donned a crown in ironic mockery, prompting puzzled onlookers to question if the rally was unwittingly honoring civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. But not all footage was fresh—some viral clips purporting to show massive turnouts were recycled from 2017 anti-Trump marches, a sleight of hand that undercut the movement's momentum.

The core message? Trump is a "king" eroding American freedoms. Protesters decried policies on immigration, election integrity, and executive actions as steps toward dictatorship. Yet, in a nation where such dissent thrives without reprisal—where you can scream profanities at the president from a public square—this "resistance" feels more like performance art than peril. And let's be clear: Donald J. Trump was *duly elected* by the American people in November 2024, through the Electoral College system that has defined U.S. democracy for over two centuries. This isn't some shadowy coup; it's the will of the voters, expressed through the tried-and-true mechanisms our founders established and refined over decades.

Protesting Law Enforcement, Ignoring True Anti-Democratic Maneuvers

Here's where the "No Kings" rallies tip into outright absurdity: Much of the outrage stems from Trump's push for stricter enforcement of existing laws—on borders, crime, and electoral fraud—framed not as governance, but as tyranny. Protesters railed against deportations of illegal immigrants and crackdowns on urban violence as "authoritarian," yet these are measures rooted in the rule of law, not the whim of a monarch. Imagine rallying against traffic cops for ticketing speeders or against judges for upholding contracts; it's a rejection of order itself, disguised as heroism.

Trump's vision of "law and order" isn't the stuff of crowns and scepters—it's the bedrock of a functioning republic. During his first term, he championed criminal justice reform via the First Step Act, reducing sentences for non-violent offenders while vowing to protect communities from chaos. His calls to secure the border aren't power grabs; they're responses to decades of lax enforcement that have strained resources and lives. Far from authoritarian, this is accountability—enforcing statutes Congress passed but previous administrations ignored.

The irony peaks when "No Kings" crowds, safe under the protections they decry, chant against a leader who has repeatedly affirmed the Constitution's limits on executive power. One X user summed it up bluntly: "If you can attend a 'No Kings Rally,' you don't have a king." Protesting law enforcement isn't noble; it's nihilistic, a tantrum against the structures that allow such rallies to happen at all.

But the hypocrisy runs deeper when you consider the Democratic alternative these protesters championed. Kamala Harris, the party's 2024 nominee, wasn't even subjected to a single primary vote after President Biden abruptly dropped out of the race in July 2024. Instead, she was effectively "shoved in" by party elites and superdelegates, who anointed her without the grassroots democratic contest that primaries are meant to provide. Had she won the election through this backroom maneuver—bypassing the very voter input that energizes democracy—it would have been a far more "authoritarian" and anti-democratic outcome than Trump's victory via the standard electoral process Americans have relied on for generations. Trump's path? The people's choice, ballots cast, electors pledged, and results certified. Harris's? A top-down coronation that short-circuited the party's own rules, all in the name of expediency. If anyone's playing kingmaker here, it's not the duly elected president enforcing the laws of the land.

Democracy Thrives, Not Under Siege

In the end, the "No Kings" rallies underscore America's enduring strength: a democracy robust enough to tolerate dissent, even when it's misguided or selectively amnesiac about its own side's shortcuts. With turnout inflated by old videos and selective outrage, the events fizzled as quickly as they flared, leaving behind more memes than mandates. Trump, ever the disruptor, isn't building a throne—he's restoring sanity to a nation weary of selective lawlessness.

As the dust settles on October 18, one takeaway rings clear: True authoritarianism silences voices like these. In Trump's America, they're amplified, absurd as they may be. That's not kingship; that's the messy, magnificent beauty of freedom—earned through elections that actually let the people, not party bosses, decide.