Once again protests erupted across the country under the title of the “No Kings” protest. The No Kings protest isn’t new; earlier this year on June 14th, the initial protests took place during the U.S. Army 250th anniversary parade and President Donald J. Trump’s 79th birthday.
But why are these protests happening, and why are they gaining so much traction? Organizers of the event say the protests are against what they describe as Donald J. Trump’s authoritarian policies and the corruption amongst his administration. The current political climate in the world, and especially in the United States, is very tense. More than ever, people feel inclined to voice their opinions, whether that be on the internet or in person.
On October 18, the No Kings protest took place for the second time in the current year, 2025. More than 2,700 of these protests were scheduled across all 50 states in the country with more than 7 million Americans and people alike in attendance.
Including Denver and Longmont, streets in almost every large city in the U.S. were filled with hundreds and thousands of people holding signs, wearing costumes, and even singing. It’s no joke when people say the event was a showstopper; the No Kings protest marks the largest single-day protest in U.S. history.
Many celebrities even showed up or voiced support of the movement.
Actor Pedro Pascal was in the crowds of Los Angeles and posted photos on Instagram along with the caption “#NoKings #LosAngeles PROTECT #Democracy.”
Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel wrote on Instagram “When you’re making your #NoKings posters, remember…Donald Trump LOVES a good nickname.”
And actor Jamie Lee Curtis went to Instagram to say, “In this world of abundance and BIG, BIGGER, BIGGEST, it doesn’t matter if this was the MOST people ever turning out in protest, it just matters that we SHOWED UP, STOOD UP, said what we THINK and FEEL and now the HARD work. We have a YEAR to send a real MESSAGE at the BALLOT BOX which is our AMERICAN VOICE, and so, let’s get &$@KING BUSY!”
Of course not all the community response was positive to the protests. Many argued the protest itself was nonsensical, claiming the name No Kings didn’t make sense, as President Donald Trump is democratically elected and works with Congress.
Like House Speaker Mike Johnson, who said on Fox News that the protest’s message was “completely the opposite of what America was founded upon.”
Or country singer John Rich, who posted on X: “If America had a king, he would never allow a ‘No Kings’ protest. What a Buncha morons.”
Though many of the people who are against the movement said the No Kings protest would cause violence across the country, that sentiment seems to be unproven.
On the official No Kings website they say, “A core principle behind all of No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action.” In fact, some people seem to allege that Republicans are upset about this, citing what Mike Johnson said to reporters on the 20th: “Congratulations, they didn’t burn any buildings down. That’s a big achievement for the left, to have some kind of gathering where they don’t have looting and rioting and burn a building down.” Despite this sarcastic comment, it is for certain that the No Kings protests have remained peaceful for the most part.
President Trump’s response to the whole ordeal was posted on the social media platform Truth, where he mocked protesters through AI-generated images and videos of himself wearing a crown and flying a plane over the crowds and dropping a brown substance over the people. He also uploaded a second AI video where he put on a crown with a cloak and sword before the camera panned over to a crowd of people bowing down before him.
With such big numbers showing at the No Kings protests, how do the majority of Americans really feel about Trump’s actions? According to the Pew Research Center, “around seven-in-ten Americans (69%) say President Donald Trump is trying to exert more power than his predecessors.”
However, this percentage isn’t a total reflection of the negative; 12% of that 69% argues President Trump’s shows of power are good for the country. Still, a whopping 49% of the 69% believe that President Trump’s show of power is bad for the country. The ratings support the tyrannical feeling many Americans protested on the 17th.
In fact, many people feel Trump is abusing executive orders to slip past congressional oversight. The Pew Research Center says about half of Americans say President Trump is using executive orders far too much, with 51% in total agreeing.
Amidst the government shutdown and the recent protests, President Trump’s approval ratings have yet to change of any significance. GALLUP’s data shows that Trump’s second-term approval rating has stayed at the same 40.3% since his presidency first began.
This is higher than his initial term, which was at a low 36.9%. Despite this, his approval ratings are still below average for presidents at the third-quarter mark; the only lower approval rating than Trump’s in modern America is Richard Nixon’s (31.6%), America’s 37th president, who resigned when facing impeachment in 1974.
Congress’ approval ratings aren’t as steady as Trump’s. They’ve been consistently dropping. GALLUP’s data shows that ratings have fallen from 26% to 15% since September. Both Democrats and Republicans have shown a current distaste for Congress.
The numbers don’t lie; it’s clear that many Americans from all parties are upset. Even if someone doesn’t agree with the message of the No Kings protest, it’s for certain that the right to protest is a staple of American culture—it’s what the country’s founded on.
What makes America so special is the freedom of speech that it gives to its citizens, allowing them to make changes even at the bottom of the ladder. Protests, such as the No Kings movement, are important because they keep democracy alive.
