‘No Kings’ Protests Sweep the Nation as Trump Faces Growing Backlash

Protesters across the United States will gather on Saturday for nationwide "No Kings" demonstrations to express their opposition to the country’s direction under President Donald Trump. The coordinated events, which Trump’s Republican allies have called “Hate America” rallies, will occur in Washington, D.C., and in thousands of communities nationwide.

This is the third major wave of protests since Trump returned to the White House, and organizers believe it will be the largest so far. The rallies come during a prolonged government shutdown that has closed federal programs and services. This shutdown has also heightened tensions between the executive branch, Congress, and the courts. Many activists view this as a critical moment for defending democratic checks and balances against what they see as an increasingly authoritarian presidency.

Trump, who has been at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida during the shutdown, dismissed claims that he wants monarch-like power. “They say they’re calling me a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview on Friday before attending a high-dollar fundraiser for his MAGA Inc. super PAC.

Organizers note that the protests have gained momentum since earlier demonstrations, like those in the spring over Elon Musk’s government contracts and the opposition in June to Trump’s proposed military parade. This time, the movement has received widespread support from across the Democratic Party. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Bernie Sanders both plan to participate.

“There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people-power,” said Ezra Levin, co-founder of the activist group Indivisible, which is coordinating the events. Organizers report that more than 2,600 rallies are planned nationwide, the largest network yet, with events accessible for most Americans.

Republican leaders have dismissed the movement as the work of far-left extremists. They claim that Democrats are holding the government hostage by refusing to pass a spending bill without including healthcare funding. “I encourage you to watch the Hate America rally on Saturday,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, who called the expected participants “antifa types” and “Marxists in full display.”

Democrats argue that the shutdown is a matter of principle. They seek to push back against Trump’s overreach and to reaffirm Congress’s role as an equal branch of government. In a Facebook post, Sanders rejected the GOP’s view of the rallies. “It’s a love America rally,” he wrote. “Millions of people all over this country believe in our Constitution, our freedoms, and will not let Donald Trump turn this nation into an authoritarian society.”

The demonstrations also represent a pivotal moment for Democrats, who just months ago seemed divided and unclear on how to respond to Trump’s second term. Schumer, previously criticized for not confronting Trump, is now taking a stronger stance, while activists feel renewed momentum on their side.

In April, organizers registered about 1,300 protest locations. That number grew to 2,100 in June and now exceeds 2,600, which Levin sees as a sign that “Democrats are finally showing some spine.”

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, while not confirming whether he will attend Saturday’s events, criticized Republican attacks on the protesters. “What’s hateful is what happened on January 6th,” Jeffries said, referring to the 2021 Capitol riot. “What you’ll see this weekend is patriotism — Americans standing up against the extremism Donald Trump continues to unleash on this country.”