BY: DM
Published 5 hours ago
Tens of thousands of Americans filled the streets on Oct. 18 during coordinated “No Kings” protests. Organizers said the demonstrations directly responded to the Trump administration’s recent actions. Deirdre Schifeling, the ACLU’s chief political and advocacy officer, echoed that view in a statement to ABC News.
“I think Americans can really see through these sad attempts to distract attention from the failure of these Republican Congress people and Republican Trump administration to actually address what most Americans want and need from their government,” Schifeling said.
The demonstrations took place in all 50 states, covering roughly 2,500 to 2,700 locations nationwide. Donald Trump, however, was not pleased and criticized both the organizers and participants.
Americans Turned out in Droves for “No Kings” Rallies
Organizers estimated nearly 7 million participants, making it one of the largest single-day protests in American history, according to USA Today. Rallies stretched from small-town gatherings to huge city marches. In New York City, Times Square and other boroughs filled with protesters, with police counting more than 100,000 marchers, according to ABC 7. On the West Coast, tens of thousands rallied across Los Angeles at multiple downtown sites, and at least 25,000 marched in San Diego, CNN reported. Demonstrators also packed streets in Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Denver, Chicago, and Seattle.
Celebrities used their platforms to boost the “No Kings” movement. Pedro Pascal joined the Los Angeles march and wrote on Instagram, “#NoKings #LosAngeles PROTECT #Democracy.” Comedian Kathy Griffin led a crowd in chanting “This is what democracy looks like,” later joking, “Well, you can’t take @4lisaguerrero and I to a protest and expect us to behave :) #NoKingsDay.” Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel posted photos of his handmade protest signs, writing, “When you’re making your #NoKings posters, remember… Donald Trump LOVES a good nickname.”
In Chicago, actor John Cusack drew on the city’s labor legacy to challenge Trump’s rhetoric. “What’s interesting is that [Trump] doesn’t understand that all the labor rights around the world came from this town,” Cusack told CNN. “If he thinks this place is going to be a fascist hub — no chance.”
Trump’s Reaction Was Swift
President Trump largely dismissed the protests. On the evening of Oct. 18, he posted an AI-generated video on Truth Social showing himself in a fighter jet labeled “KING TRUMP.” In the clip, he wears a crown and dumps what appears to be feces on a crowd of protesters.
The day after the protests, Trump told Fox News that he was shutting down the idea that he is the ‘king’ in question. “I work my ass off to make our country great. That’s all it is. I’m not a king at all,” he said. “I looked at the people. They’re not representative of this country, and I looked at all the brand new signs paid for. I guess it was paid for by Soros and other radical left lunatics,” the president said. “It looks like it was worth checking out. The demonstrations were very small, very ineffective and the people were whacked out. When you look at those people, they are not representative of the people of our country.”
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