“No Kings” rallies held across the country
More than 2,500 “No Kings” rallies have been held across the United States to protest President Donald Trump’s actions.
President Donald Trump and the White House responded to the millions of protesters who took to the streets at “No Kings” rallies with a series of videos and photos of Trump wearing a crown, apparently generated by AI.
In one video the president shared on social media, he is seen wearing a crown, piloting a fighter jet emblazoned with “King Trump” and dropping what appears to be human waste on protesters. In another photo, he is seen wearing a crown and robe and wielding a sword as “Long Live the King” plays and former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others bow to him.
The White House also posted on social media an image of Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance wearing crowns, alongside images of House Minority Leader Hakeen Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wearing sombreros.
“We are built differently,” the White House wrote when sharing the image.
Protesters gathered at an estimated 2,700 rallies across the United States on October 18 to oppose President Trump’s policies and extol the constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly. Many said they were angry at the Trump administration’s treatment of immigrants and other vulnerable people.
Republican leaders spoke out ahead of Saturday’s protests, blaming Republicans for the current government shutdown and labeling the Republican rally “America-haters.”
Kings organizers did not estimate that 7 million people attended the rally. The New York City Police Department said more than 100,000 people “peacefully” participated in the No King protests in America’s most populous city, and there were no arrests related to the protests.
If crowd estimates are correct, the one-day “No Kings” event will be the largest public outing in the United States since the first Earth Day 55 years ago. No major incidents or arrests were reported at other rallies that day.
Contributors: Sarah D. Wire, Jeanine Santucci
