Nearly 7 million people across the country turned out for the second “No Kings” protests against President Donald Trump and his administration, marking the largest single-day demonstration against a sitting president in modern history, organizers said.
As the government shutdown approaches its third week, millions of demonstrators joined protests in more than 2,500 cities and towns in all 50 states, with several global cities joining in, to stand up to what organizers called Trump’s “authoritarian power grabs.”
In June, more than 5 million people turned out for the first “No Kings” protests.
“There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people-power,” Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, one of the organizers, said.
Ahead of the marches this week, the president insisted he was “not a king,” while administration officials and congressional Republicans baselessly labeled the demonstrations “Hate America rallies” and blamed Antifa for being behind the protests. The demonstrations are led by a coalition of civil rights and advocacy groups.
After golfing Saturday, Trump returned to his Mar-a-Lago residence and fired off several posts from his Truth Social, including an AI-generated video that appeared to show him wearing a crown, flying a jet, and bombing a crowd of protesters with brown liquid.
Key Points
- In photos: Demonstrators show up in droves for 'No Kings' protests in cities across the country
- Why some demonstrators are wearing yellow
- Bernie Sanders headlines DC 'No Kings' rally
- More than half of Americans think Trump wants to be king of US: poll
- Where's Trump today?
- Chicago, in the midst of a Trump crackdown, rallies for No Kings pt. II
- Trump posts AI video of himself flying KING TRUMP jet and bombing protesters with brown liquid
Full story: ‘No Kings’ protests pass in festival atmosphere as an estimated 7 million across US rally against Trump’s ‘authoritarianism’
06:30 , Alex WoodwardNearly 7 million demonstrators in small towns and cities across the country showed up for No Kings protests to rally against the Trump administration.
Kelly Rissman and Josh Marcus have the story, with reporting from Io Dodds.
‘No Kings’ protests pass in festival atmosphere as nearly 7 million rally across US
In photos: LAPD confronts protesters as demonstrations continue after dark
05:30 , Alex Woodward
Trump posts AI video of himself flying KING TRUMP jet and bombing No Kings protesters
04:57 , Josh MarcusAfter spending the day golfing while his allies downplayed and mocked millions of Americans marching against his administration, Donald Trump fired off a Truth Social post with an AI-created video showing himself wearing a crown, flying a “KING TRUMP” fighter jet, and bombing a crowd of No Kings protesters with brown liquid.
The video, shared on the president’s personal and government social media accounts, shows the president soaring above a protest crowd in what appears to be Times Square. The jet then dumps brown liquid on the demonstrators as Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” plays in the background, an apparent reference to the Top Gun movies.
In the lead-up to the No Kings demonstrations, which organizers estimate drew nearly 7 million people across all 50 states, Republicans have responded with a mixture of hyperbole, criticism, and mockery.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and congressional Republicans called the protests “Hate America” rallies, while Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy suggested participants are pro-Hamas or paid protesters acting on behalf of Antifa, a movement the administration has deemed a domestic terror group.
More details in our full story.
Trump posts AI video of himself bombing protesters with brown liquid
GOP Tennessee congressman posts bizarre Burger King-themed response to No Kings protests
04:00 , Josh Marcus
Republicans have responded to today’s No Kings protests with a mixture of scorn and mockery.
In a video posted on X on Saturday, Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee offered a bit of both, critiquing Democrats while standing outside a Burger King restaurant in a paper crown.
“Can you image the Democratic Party hollering about no kings when they literally elected their candidate for president, Kamala Harris, with no election?” he said, referring to the Democrats’ late-season switch from Joe Biden to Harris as their 2024 nominee. “Imagine that. The irony of it all.”
Police mass at Chicago-area ICE facility as tense protests coincide with No Kings
03:00 , Josh MarcusJust like in Portland, protests have continued at a Chicago-area Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility amid the larger No Kings protests occurring in the city.
In both cases, the facilities have been hubs for regular protests that continued on during today’s nationwide demonstrations.
According to local reporters, mass numbers of local and state police corralled the gathered crowds in Illinois into “free speech zones” outside the facility, leading to occasional panic and confusion as officers, cars, and protesters jostled for position.
Trump posts AI video of himself flying KING TRUMP jet and bombing protesters with brown liquid
02:55 , Alex WoodwardDonald Trump and his Republican allies have spent the days leading up to Saturday’s demonstrations lambasting protesters as “Antifa” and “pro-Hamas” while labeling them “Hate America” rallies.
Millions of people marched without incident across the country.
The president, who spent the day golfing, fired off a Truth Social post Saturday night, with an AI video showing himself wearing a crown, flying a “KING TRUMP” fighter jet, and bombing a crowd in what appears to be Times Square with brown liquid.
🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/4eb8BYsKyp
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 19, 2025
A dispatch from Io Dodds on No Kings protests across the San Francisco Bay Area
02:40 , Io Dodds
The Bay Area turned out for No Kings 2, with an estimated 50,000 people marching in San Francisco, 10,000 in neighboring Oakland, and another 10,000 in Marin County across the Golden Gate Bridge, according to organizers.
Folk music icon Joan Baez, famed left-wing scholar and activist Angela Davis, and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi joined the protests, though some marchers heckled the latter with "retire!"
The weather was warm and the atmosphere carnival-like, with drummers, brass bands, a bugler, and a plethora of inflatable animal costumes including bears, dinosaurs, chickens or roosters, a snail, an axolotl, a macaw, and of course several frogs. Such were the crowds in Oakland that transit authorities were forced to open fare gates at the Lake Merritt metro station.
Despite some Republicans’ condemnation of the protests as “Hate America” rallies, there was an enormous amount of patriotic imagery, from Revolutionary War costumes to Stars and Stripes flags. Some sections of the crowd cheered for passing police cars, and one protester even carried a sign thanking the San Francisco Police Department for protecting the march.
The day started with a massive human banner on S.F.'s Pacific-facing Ocean Beach, spelling out the words "NO KINGS, YES ON 50", referring to California's partisan redistricting plan (Proposition 50).
That was a common theme for signs and protest chants. In response to Texas Republicans' partisan gerrymandering proposals, California Democrats want to override the Golden State's bipartisan electoral committee and do the same thing back. Voters must approve that plan in November.“
A fascist regime is in power... the beast is at the door," said one speaker in the plaza in front of San Francisco City Hall. "And yet... this is our country.”
Look to your ancestors and fight for the future. We are the people. Now is the time. This is the moment."
Democratic rep defends No Kings rallies from MAGA claim they are 'hate America' protests
02:28 , Josh MarcusRepublicans have spent the lead-up to today’s No Kings protests criticizing the demonstrations, with House Speaker Mike Johnson referring to the events as “hate America” demonstrations while Sen. Josh Hawley has called participants “Leftist goons.”
On the Democratic side, Rep. Jamie Raskin has praised the events as patriotic and creative.
“Mike Johnson called #NoKings a “hate America rally,” but that was the one that took place on January 6, 2021,” Raskin wrote on X, referring to the pro-Trump insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. “What I saw today was solidarity, humor, wit, compassion and resolve—from patriots who love their country so much they’ll defend it against a lawless president.”
Trump administration continues using agencies for highly partisan messaging during shutdown and No Kings
02:20 , Josh MarcusAs millions rallied to protest the president today, the Trump administration continued on with a strategy of mocking the opposition, resorting to highly unusual tactics along the way.
That included further use of spoofing digital imagery to attack Democratic leaders like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The image is reminiscent of a racist post from the president last month, which used AI to depict Jeffries in a sombrero and have Schumer give a profane rant about Democrats and immigrants.
Agency websites have also featured unusually partisan messages blaming the shutdown on Democrats, while federal employees at several agencies were surprised to learn that their email accounts were automatically responding to messages with out-of-office replies that blamed the Democrats as well.
Federal workers sent anti-Democrat out-of-office replies without their knowledge
Federal agents use gas and crowd control rounds to clear Portland crowd outside ICE facility
02:00 , Josh Marcus
Federal agents in Portland used gas and crowd control rounds on Saturday evening to clear out a crowd of protesters who gathered at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement building amid larger No Kings protests.
“Agents charged out of the facility and used a pale yellow gas that caused tears and coughing in crowd members,” Suzette Smith of the Portland Mercury wrote on Bluesky. “Also shot munitions at those retreating.”
Social media videos of the incident showed a large crowd of masked, heavily armed agents rushing out of the facility and into the crowd.
Multiple individuals outside the building have been arrested.
The building has been a site of regular protests for months, and local officials accuse the heavy federal presence sent in response of amping up tensions at the site. The Trump administration has used the protests to claim it is necessary to send in the National Guard.
A federal court in Illinois has expressed concern over federal agents using similar tactics on protesters there, temporarily blocking them from firing rubber bullets or tear gas into crowds.
Here’s background on the clashing that have previously taken place at this site.
Federal agents in Portland delayed ambulance from going to hospital: report
No Kings protest in Vermont town draws a third of the population
01:45 , Josh MarcusWhile major U.S. cities saw hundreds of thousands of people turn out for No Kings events, numerous protests broke out in smaller communities, too.
Here are some images from around the country captured by local residents.
No kings protest in Rappahannock county, Va. population 7K pic.twitter.com/08TZ82EVya
— Homer Limpsome (@loskielo) October 18, 2025
No Kings Rally, Morehead, Kentucky, population 6,700#NoKingsOct18 pic.twitter.com/dRyllJyBVK
— George Wright (@FormerArmySpox) October 18, 2025
In Brattleboro, Vermont, an estimated 4,000 people turned out, or about a third of the town’s population.
Chicago, in the midst of a Trump crackdown, rallies for No Kings pt. II
01:29 , Josh Marcus
As many as 250,000 people may have joined in No Kings protests in Chicago today, a mass rebuke to the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration and attempted law enforcement crackdown in the city.
Speakers gathered at Grant Park before a huge crowd marched through downtown.
“Donald Trump is using ICE as his private, militarized occupying force,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson told the audience. “But we are saying emphatically clear: we do not want troops in our city.”
“Throughout history we have learned that tyranny doesn’t arrive with dramatic proclamations,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker added in remarks of his own. “We learned that it comes wrapped in ‘law and order’ … The reality here in Chicago is this: Black and Brown people are being targeted for the color of their skin. Children are being zip-tied and separated from their families … These people are not abstractions. They pay taxes on their businesses. They work hard — these people are the fabric of our society.”
No people have been arrested as part of Saturday’s protests, Chicago Police told Block Club.
A large presence of federal immigration agents have been active in Chicago since last month as part of “Operation Midway Blitz,” and masked immigration officers have carried out violent arrests across the city.
Protesters have regularly gathered outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility nearby, where agents and protesters have clashed, and federal troops are accused of excesses including firing on a praying Presbyterian minister in the crowd using pepper ball rounds.
The Trump administration has also sought to deploy the National Guard to the city, over objection from local officials. So far that plan has been paused in court.
Pastor struck by ICE disputes Trump administration’s ‘false’ account of protest
Legal limbo continues after fatal shooting at first No Kings rally in June
01:00 , Josh MarcusAs the second round of No Kings protests took place across the country today, legal uncertainty persisted in a case relating to a fatal shooting from the first wave of such demonstrations earlier this year.
In June, protester Arthur Folasa Ah Loo was shot and killed during a No Kings rally in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The shooting occurred when an armed individual identified as a “peacekeeper” overseeing the event saw Arturo Gamboa holding a rifle.
The peacekeeper then shot three times, accidentally killing Folasa Ah Loo and wounding Gamboa, who was later held in jail for six days then released.
The identity of the peacekeeper remains undisclosed, and local officials have not yet issued any charging decisions.
Gamboa insists his was not loaded and that video from the scene of the protest shows she he did threaten anyone.
"In the death of Arthur Folasa Ah Loo we have a unique scenario that we are trying to be as thoughtful and careful about it as we can,” the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office told KSL in a statement. “We appreciate everyone's patience as we work through the intricacies of this incident, as we are trying to ensure we are doing the right thing."
Newsom slams Trump for 'show of force' military exercise during No Kings protest
Sunday 19 October 2025 00:40 , Josh MarcusCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom tore into the Trump administration on Saturday, accusing the White House of leaning on the military to conduct an “absurd show of force” through a planned exercise to fire live artillery rounds over the busy I-5 highway as part of an event connected to the military’s 250th anniversary.
“The president is putting his ego over responsibility with this disregard for public safety,” Newsom said in a statement. “Firing live rounds over a busy highway isn’t just wrong — it’s dangerous. Using our military to intimidate people you disagree with isn’t strength — it’s reckless, it’s disrespectful, and it’s beneath the office he holds.”
State officials, who temporarily closed I-5 near the Camp Pendleton base where the exercise was taking place, alleged that the Marine Corps confirmed Thursday that the exercise would be conducted on a training range without firing over the freeway.
Newsom’s office claims that a day later, it got word the state should warn passersby of “overhead fire in progress,” with federal officials confirming a live fire exercise was set for Saturday afternoon.
“Due to extreme life safety risk and distraction to drivers, including sudden unexpected and loud explosions, a section of I-5 will be closed for a period on Saturday,” Newsom’s office said.
The firing exercise took place the same day as today’s No Kings protests.
More details in our full story.
Newsom lashes out at Trump for Marines live fire exercise over busy I-5 freeway
PHOTOS: Huge No Kings rally in Portland, site of regular protests against Trump immigration agenda
Sunday 19 October 2025 00:23 , Josh MarcusTens of thousands of people gathered around Portland, Oregon, on Saturday for No Kings protests.
The city has been home to protests against the Trump administration for months, including gatherings outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.
In response, the Trump administration has surged federal agents to Portland and (thus far unsuccessfully) sought to deploy the National Guard.
Here’s what the scene looked like on the ground today.
VIDEO: Protesters stream through downtown San Francisco for No Kings rally
Sunday 19 October 2025 00:04 , Josh MarcusNo Kings demonstrations on the West Coast are still going strong.
Here’s a video of the crowd in San Francisco, courtesy of our reporter Io Dodds.
Today's No Kings protests, by the numbers
Saturday 18 October 2025 23:25 , Josh MarcusOrganizers estimated roughly 7 million people may be taking part today in No Kings protests across the country.
In major cities, individual demonstrations have drawn crowds hundreds of thousands strong.
Here’s how many people attended some of the biggest protests, according to organizers.
New York: 350,000
Washington, D.C.: 200,000
Chicago: 100,000
Atlanta: 12,000
Boston: 100,000
RECAP: 7 million hit the streets for No Kings protests
Saturday 18 October 2025 23:04 , Josh MarcusNearly 7 million demonstrators in small towns and cities across the country showed up for the “No Kings” protests to rally against Donald Trump’s presidency, according to organizers.
The president declared he was “not a king” on Fox News Friday, but that didn’t prevent millions of rally-goers in more than 2,500 locations across the U.S. protesting the second Trump administration. Saturday’s event marked the third mass mobilization since Trump reclaimed the White House last year.
The event marked one of the largest single-day nationwide demonstrations in U.S. history, surpassing the more than 5 million demonstrators who turned up to the first iteration of “No Kings” protests in June, organizers said.
“Today, millions of people showed that we, the people, will not be silenced,” Deirdre Schifeling, chief political and advocacy officer for the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement.
Protesters at rallies across the country shouted a common refrain:“Hey hey! Ho ho! Donald Trump has got to go!” Inflatable suits, Revolutionary War references, and posters depicting Trump in a crown were ubiquitous.
Kelly Rissman has the story:
‘No Kings’ protests pass in festival atmosphere as nearly 7 million rally across US
Sen. Josh Hawley joins chorus of GOP leaders dismissing No Kings protests
Saturday 18 October 2025 22:53 , Josh MarcusSen. Josh Hawley of Missouri is one of numerous top Republicans who have dismissed today’s No Kings protests.
In an X post on Saturday, Hawley called the millions of participants “Leftist goons.”
Elsewhere, Hawley issued a scorching condemnation of the protests, seeming to equate those taking part in the demonstrations with Democrats who were previously in power.
“They now say don’t want a king?” Hawley told Fox News. “They just spent the last four years behaving like tyrants.”
“These were the people who weaponized the Justice Department,” he continued, “who tried to rig an election by keeping Donald Trump off the ballot; who tapped the phones of U.S. senators they didn’t like, including me; who turned the FBI against parents at school board meetings; and now they say they don’t want a king? Give me a break. They don’t believe in democracy. They believe in their own power.”
What our reporter saw at the San Francisco No Kings protest
Saturday 18 October 2025 22:34 , Josh Marcus
Here’s what one of the many No Kings protests taking place across the country looked like on the ground, according to our San Francisco-based reported Io Dodds.
The No Kings march in San Francisco just started moving, preceded by a police escort and a protester blowing a bugle. It’s moving down the city’s central canyon of Market Street from the Ferry Building towards the Civic Center.
Notably, there is a LOT of patriotic and Revolutionary War imagery of the kind that was once more associated with the conservative Tea Party movement: eagles, flags, 1776.
Stay tuned for updates on how the protests are unfolding.
The former leader of the Proud Boys spotted at the Miami 'No Kings' protests
Saturday 18 October 2025 21:34 , Kelly RissmanEnrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader, showed up alongside a videographer to the Miami “No Kings” protests, the Miami Herald reported.
Tarrio was sentenced in 2023 in connection to the January 6 Capitol riot in 2021. He was pardoned by President Donald Trump earlier this year.
“Walk away from the agitator,” organizers told the crowd using megaphones, the outlet reported. “Please do not engage with any outside agitators.”
“I support all these people, especially her with the bullhorn,” Tarrio said.
“These protestors are 100 percent expressing the same rights as during January 6,” said the person who was livestreaming Tarrio.
Best signs and costumes from the nationwide ‘No Kings’ protests
Saturday 18 October 2025 21:13 , Kelly RissmanMillions gathered for nationwide protests to denounce President Donald Trump administration’s “authoritarianism” — and they came equipped with clever signs and eye-catching costumes.
In what is expected to be one of the largest peaceful protests in U.S. history, demonstrators in cities across the country — from San Francisco to Chicago to New York — marched in protest of what organizers described as the president’s “authoritarian power grabs.” The president insisted he’s “not a king” in a Friday interview with Fox News.
Saturday’s mass protests came four months after the first “No Kings” protests in June, which were largely peaceful and saw few arrests. Demonstrators evoked their frustration with the current state of the country through powerful signs and wardrobe choices.
Read the full story.
Best signs and costumes from ‘No Kings’ protests condemning the Trump administration
No protest-related arrestes in New York City, police say
Saturday 18 October 2025 21:00 , Kelly RissmanNYPD says no arrests were made in connection to the ‘No Kings’ protests that reached all five boroughs in New York City Saturday.
“The majority of the No Kings protests have dispersed at this time and all traffic closures have been lifted,” NYPD said in a post on X Saturday afternoon.
“We had more than 100,000 people across all five boroughs peacefully exercising their first amendment rights and the NYPD made zero protest-related arrests.”
New York Rep. Daniel Goldman joins NYC protests
Saturday 18 October 2025 20:50 , Kelly RissmanNew York Democratic Rep. Daniel Goldman, who represents parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan, joined demonstrators in New York City.
“America was founded by rejecting a king. We won’t kneel for another,” he wrote in a post on X.
America was founded by rejecting a king.
— Daniel Goldman (@danielsgoldman) October 18, 2025
We won’t kneel for another.
I was proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow elected officials, community leaders, and everyday New Yorkers in support of our democracy and the rule of law.
#NoKingsDayOct18th pic.twitter.com/Pb7HprenqE
Newsom urges Californians to peacefully protest Trump's 'authoritarian playbook'
Saturday 18 October 2025 20:34 , Kelly RissmanCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom urged demonstrators to protest “peacefully” against “the President’s authoritarian playbook.”
As Californians take to the streets today to stand up against the President’s authoritarian playbook, I urge everyone to stay safe and demonstrate peacefully.
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) October 18, 2025
Don’t give in to his provocations. Our strength is in our unity and peace.
On the ground at the 'No Kings' protests in Washington, DC
Saturday 18 October 2025 20:30 , John BowdenCrowds of #NoKings protesters swarmed the streets of Washington, D.C. on Saturday, packing the area around the Capitol and Union Station all the way down to the National Mall, where speakers and a stage were set up.
The tens of thousands packed sidewalks outside of the main venue area, which quickly reached capacity. Outside the Department of Labor a dance party broke out featuring numerous costumed demonstrators and around a hundred other people who eagerly joined in the effort to counter smears describing the protests as violent. Others waved Mexican flags from the top of the marble steps; anti-ICE slogans were conspicuous.
A few shouted challenges at lines of Capitol Police observing the demonstrations, but no actual violence erupted. Several members of U.S. Park Police rode on horseback through a dense crowd near one of the main venue's exits, but were unimpeded.
Senator Chuck Schumer joined the New York City protests
Saturday 18 October 2025 20:17 , Kelly RissmanSenate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Senator, joined fellow New Yorkers at the “No Kings” protests.
The government shutdown is headed into its third week as Democrats have demanded a deal with Republicans to include health care subsidies.
In one photo posted to X, Schumer held up a sign that read: “Fix the health care crisis.”
Today as millions of Americans rally across this country for No Kings Day:
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) October 18, 2025
I proudly marched side-by-side with labor unions and so many more of our fellow citizens in NYC.
We have no dictators in America. And we won’t allow Trump to keep eroding our democracy. pic.twitter.com/i0MZU6JI0k
Two survivors of suspected drug boat strike are being sent back to their countries of origin: Trump
Saturday 18 October 2025 19:58 , Kelly RissmanThe two survivors of a U.S. military strike against an alleged Venezuelan drug cartel boat Thursday are now being sent back to their countries of origin, President Donald Trump confirmed.
The strike marked the sixth such attack since last month.
On Saturday, Trump confirmed the latest developments on Truth Social: “It was my great honor to destroy a very large DRUG-CARRYING SUBMARINE that was navigating towards the United States on a well-known narcotrafficking transit route.”
He continued: “U.S. Intelligence confirmed this vessel was loaded up with mostly Fentanyl, and other illegal narcotics. There were four known narcoterrorists on board the vessel. Two of the terrorists were killed. At least 25,000 Americans would die if I allowed this submarine to come ashore.”
The two survivors are being returned to Ecuador and Colombia, their countries of origin, for detention and prosecution, Trump said.
“No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. Under my watch, the United States of America will not tolerate narcoterrorists trafficking illegal drugs, by land or by sea. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he wrote.
John Cusack says Trump should ‘go to hell!’ at ‘No Kings’ protest in Chicago
Saturday 18 October 2025 19:54 , Kelly RissmanJohn Cusack spoke out against President Donald Trump at the “No Kings” protest in Chicago today, saying the city’s message to his administration is: “Go to hell!”
The 59-year-old High Fidelity and Say Anything star is a longtime resident of the city.
In an interview with CNN at the rally, Cusack claimed that Trump misunderstands Chicago. The president has asked the Supreme Court for permission to send troops into the city, arguing they are needed to protect federal border and immigration officials. Officials in the city insist they are not needed.
“What’s interesting is that he doesn’t understand that all the labor rights around the world came from this town, this place,” said Cusack “So if he thinks this place is going to be a fascist hub – no chance!”
Kevin Perry has the story.
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John Cusack says Trump should ‘go to hell!’ at ‘No Kings’ protest in Chicago
'History will judge us by where we choose to stand right now:' Governor Pritzker tells rally
Saturday 18 October 2025 19:42 , Kelly RissmanIllinois Governor JB Pritzker spoke of resistance and compassion when addressing the massive crowd in Chicago’s Grant Park during the Windy City’s ‘No King’s protest.
"History will judge us by where we choose to stand right now, today. Future generations will ask: 'What did we do when fellow human beings face persecution? When our rights were being abridged? When our constitution was under attack?'" he asked. "They'll want to know whether we stood up or we stayed silent.
“Tyranny requires your fear, your silence, your compliance; Democracy requires courage,” the Democratic governor continued.
"Resistance means choosing solidarity over fear and means recognizing that an attack on free speech on immigrants' rights on due process is an attack on everyone’s rights," Pritzker told the crowd. "It means understanding that we’re either building a society based on human dignity, or one based on domination."
Where's Trump today?
Saturday 18 October 2025 19:36 , Kelly RissmanAs millions across the country take the streets to protest President Donald Trump’s administration, the president has remained out of the public eye.
Senators Bernie Sanders and Chris Murphy, along with other speakers, addressed the crowd in Washington, DC, but Trump is nowhere near the White House.
He’s many miles away in Palm Beach, according to White House pool reports.
As of 2.30 p.m., the president has not publicly commented on the ongoing nationwide protests against his administration today.
WATCH: 'Morons': Florida Rep. Randy Fine slams 'No Kings' protesters
Saturday 18 October 2025 19:19 , Kelly RissmanSanders condemns Trump and 'handful of wealthiest people on earth'
Saturday 18 October 2025 19:07 , Kelly RissmanSanders denounced not only Trump, but the billionaires who have “hijacked” the U.S. political system.
“This moment is not just about one man’s greed, one man’s corruption, or one man’s contempt for the Constitution,” he told the DC crowd. “This is about a handful of the wealthiest people on earth, who in their insatiable greed, have hijacked our economy and our political system in order to enrich themselves at the expense of working families throughout this country.”
He denounced the billionaires who helped fund Trump’s re-election campaign and attended his inauguration, specifically named Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg.
“We rejected the divine right of kings in the 1770s. We will not accept the divine right of oligarchs today,” he said.
Bernie Sanders takes aim at Mike Johnson as he headlines DC 'No Kings' rally
Saturday 18 October 2025 19:02 , Kelly RissmanVermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders addressed the Washington, DC ‘No Kings’ rally Saturday afternoon.
A huge roar from the crowd greeted Sanders when he took the stage.
House Speaker Mike Johnson “called these rallies ‘Hate America events.’ Boy, does he have it wrong,” Sanders said.
Millions across thousands of cities across the country showed up “not because they hate America, but because they love America,” he said.
He warned that the American experiment is “now in danger.”
Sanders listed a long list of examples that he said put democracy in danger, including federal masked agents deployed to U.S. cities, Trump’s lawsuits against media companies and the president’s threats to arrest and imprison his perceived political enemies.
Santos ‘decompressing’ from prison time after being released early by Trump
Saturday 18 October 2025 18:55 , Kelly RissmanGeorge Santos is “decompressing” from what his lawyer described as a “traumatic experience” behind bars just one day after he was released from prison following President Trump’s decision to commute the disgraced ex-congressman’s sentence.
Santos, 37, served just 84 days of the more than seven-year sentence handed down in April for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft – charges stemming from his elaborate schemes to deceive donors and steal the identities of 11 people, including family members, to fund his campaign.
On Saturday, Santos’ lawyer, Joseph Murray, told that his client is currently decompressing and declined to share where he is staying.
Andrea Cavallier has the story.
George Santos ‘decompressing’ from prison time after being released by Trump
NYPD hopes to ensure demonstrators can “peacefully and safely" protest
Saturday 18 October 2025 18:45 , Kelly RissmanThe New York Police Department said they will be in the city to ensure demonstrators can “peacefully and safely” protest in “No Kings” rallies.
“The No Kings protests are happening across the city today. The NYPD will be out to make sure everyone can peacefully and safely exercise their first amendment right,” NYPD said.
“As a reminder, there will be zero tolerance for any illegal activity or anyone who breaks the law.”
More than half of Americans think Trump wants to be king of the U.S.: Poll
Saturday 18 October 2025 18:37 , Kelly RissmanA new YouGov poll, conducted Friday, found that more than half of Americans believe President Donald Trump wants to be king.
Asked if they believe the president “wants to be the king of the United States,” 52 percent of respondents said “yes” while 36 percent said “no.” The rest said they were unsure.
Respondents also largely disagreed that Trump “should be the king of the United States,” with 85 percent saying “no.” Seven percent responded “yes” and eight percent reported they were unsure.
For the poll, 9,959 U.S. adults were surveyed.
WATCH: Charlotte, NC residents chant, march in city's second 'No Kings' rally
Saturday 18 October 2025 18:30 , Kelly RissmanIn photos: Demonstrators show up in droves for 'No Kings' protests in cities across the country
Saturday 18 October 2025 18:13 , Kelly Rissman
Trump administration officials slam 'No Kings' protests as millions expected to participate
Saturday 18 October 2025 17:59 , Kelly RissmanMembers of the Trump administration have spoken out against Saturday’s ‘No Kings’ protests, saying the demonstrations make “no sense” because the president has made clear he is no king.
"President Trump has said himself that he’s not a king," Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, told Fox News in an interview Saturday. "Obviously everyone’s letting them protest, that’s what America is all about, is proving that there isn’t a king, right? And so what they’re doing makes no sense."
“Marked safe from kings in DC, since there aren’t any here,” Harmeet Dhillon, the U.S. assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, wrote on X.
“Good Morning to my fellow Americans who are celebrating No Kings Day today. While most of us celebrate this reality on July 4th, you do you!” Doug Collins, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, wrote on X.
'We should all be deeply concerned' about Trump's remarks, Senator Raphael Warnock says
Saturday 18 October 2025 17:52 , Kelly RissmanGeorgia Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock addressed the ‘No King’s rally crowd in Atlanta, emphasizing Americans should be “concerned” about President Donald Trump’s recent comments.
Last month, Trump told top military leaders in Quantico, Virginia: "This is going to be a big thing for the people in this room, because it's the enemy from within, and we have to handle it before it gets out of control.”
“Listen to me: I I don’t care what your politics are today. I mean that. If you are an American citizen, you should be deeply concerned. And I know you are. That’s why you’re gathered here today. We should all be deeply concerned about an American president who stood in front of our military and said that the real concern is the enemy within,” the Georgia senator said, according toThe Guardian.
He also slammed ICE, which has been conducting raids across the country.
“Showing up in communities all across our country--imagine this--agents of the government flying in Blackhawk helicopters into Chicago, rappelling down an apartment building in the middle of an American city,” he said. “Literally separating Black people from brown people. I’m a preacher, but I have to say this. What the hell is happening? And all of us have to be concerned.”
Congressional Democrats urge Americans to peacefully protest in 'No Kings' rallies
Saturday 18 October 2025 17:44 , Kelly RissmanSeveral Democratic lawmakers are speaking at today’s ‘No Kings’ rallies, including Senators Bernie Sanders, Chris Murphy, and Raphael Warnock, while others have urged constituents to peacefully protest through social media posts.
I went to war to defend our nation.
— Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) October 18, 2025
Now a wannabe dictator is trying to tear it apart—defying court orders, censoring the press, intimidating peaceful protestors and misusing our troops.
Speak up. Speak out. Stay peaceful. Be safe.
No kings.
Remember, there’s nothing more American than protesting a self-indulgent, power-abusing King. It’s actually how our country was born.
— Martin Heinrich (@SenatorHeinrich) October 18, 2025
Behave accordingly.
Today, millions of Americans will stand united against this administration’s lawlessness.
— Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) October 18, 2025
We will not be intimidated into silence. We love this country. And when you love something—you fight for it.
Do it peacefully and patriotically.
Do it with heart.
Do it with courage.
UK-born journalist slams Trump's immigration stance at DC rally
Saturday 18 October 2025 17:33 , Kelly RissmanA British-born journalist slammed the president’s immigration stance at the “No Kings” rally in the nation’s capital.
Trump is the "son of an immigrant, the grandson of an immigrant and married to an immigrant. In fact, two of his three wives were immigrants, proving yet again that immigrants will do the jobs that even Americans are not willing to do," Mehdi Hasan, the founder of new media organization Zeteo, said.
Hasan opened his remarks, joking: "I am a journalist. I am an immigrant. And I am a Muslim. I am everything Donald Trump loves."
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy speaks at 'No Kings' rallies
Saturday 18 October 2025 17:23 , Kelly RissmanConnecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy called Donald Trump the “most corrupt president in the history of America” at a “No Kings” rally in Washington, DC on Saturday.
The senator addressed the government shutdown, which has gone on for more than two weeks. Republicans have been on an “unplanned vacation” from the nation’s capital for five weeks, he said.
“Trump does think that he’s a king and he thinks he can act more corruptly when the government is shut down. But he cannot. He doesn’t have new powers, extra powers during the shutdown,” Murphy added.
Why are some demonstrators are wearing yellow?
Saturday 18 October 2025 17:15 , Kelly Rissman“No Kings” protest organizers have urged demonstrators to wear yellow on Saturday.
Here’s why.
“Throughout history, people who have come together in protest against authoritarian regimes have utilized a color that is easy to see among a sea of thousands. Yellow is a bright, unmistakable reminder that millions of us stand together in the belief that America belongs to its people, not to kings,” the organizers said on their website.
The color can symbolize nonviolent resistance and pro-democracy movements, the coalition said.
They pointed to 2014 protests in Hong Kong, where demonstrators carried yellow umbrellas. That same year after a ferry disaster in South Korea, people posted yellow ribbons to show solidarity and demand government transparency, the website states.
More recently, in Ukraine, yellow ribbons were hung ribbons and “reclaimed the color as a signal of resistance and national self-determination amid invasion,” the group wrote.
'No Kings' protesters show up in full force in the US and around the globe
Saturday 18 October 2025 16:55 , Kelly RissmanSaturday’s ‘No Kings’ demonstrations began in Europe, with hundreds of protesters rallying in London and Madrid, Reuters reported.
Stateside, in Northern Virginia, hundreds more gathered near Arlington National Cemetery, not far from where President Donald Trump is weighing building an arch — dubbed “Arc de Trump” — across the bridge from the Lincoln Memorial, according to the outlet.
In New York, photos and social media footage captured thousands of protesters filling up Times Square.
In photos: Thousands pack in to Times Square to partake in 'No Kings' protests
Saturday 18 October 2025 16:42 , Kelly Rissman
WATCH: Bill Nye the Science Guy speaks at "No Kings" rally in D.C.
Saturday 18 October 2025 16:34 , Kelly Rissman'We have no kings in America. We have citizens,' Sen. Adam Schiff says
Saturday 18 October 2025 16:16 , Kelly RissmanCalifornia Democratic Senator Adam Schiff likened President Donald Trump to a monarch, urging those in his state to participate in the “No Kings” protests.
“Two and a half centuries ago, a handful of farmers and printers and philosophers looked across an ocean at the most powerful man in the world — and said ‘no,’” he said in a video message posted to social media.
Founders set out a “long list of grievances against their British masters,” like “he has obstructed the administration of justice, made judges dependent on his will alone, cut off trade with all parts of the world, deprived us, in many cases, of trial by jury,” Schiff said.
“If those grievances sound familiar, they should. Because the man would rule America today has done all of that and more,” the California Democrat said.
The American story was never about one man, but was about all of us, he said. “Today, in town and cities across this nation, we say it again: We have no kings in America. We have citizens.
East Coast protests begin as millions across the country are expected to march
Saturday 18 October 2025 16:07 , Kelly Rissman‘No Kings’ rallies have kicked off in Atlanta, New York, and Washington, DC.
“Hey hey! Ho ho! Donald Trump has got to go!” some protesters shouted. Others held “no fascists” signs and dressed as Trump administration officials in prison jumpsuits.
'No Kings' protests kick off on the East Coast
Saturday 18 October 2025 16:01 , Kelly RissmanMillions are expected to turn out to Saturday’s protests.
After demonstrators gathered in Europe — across the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Sweden and Germany — protesters are starting to march in the United States.
Rallies on the East Coast, including in Atlanta, New York, and Washington, DC, have already begun.
You can watch a livestream here.
Some Congressional Republicans suggest watching football as millions expected to protest
Saturday 18 October 2025 15:55 , Kelly RissmanDemocrats are urging their constituents to peacefully participate in ‘No Kings’ protests, but several Republicans have instead encouraged Americans to stay home and watch college football.
“Avoid ‘No Kings’ (the Hate America) protests! The Left is very, very angry that Trump keeps winning. Good chance these won’t be ‘peaceful’. Stay home, watch football…” Florida GOP Rep. Jimmy Patronis wrote on X.
“Imagine hating America so much you skip College Football on a fall Saturday,” North Carolina GOP Congressman Richard Hudson wrote, replying to California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell’s post about being “so excited” for Saturday’s demonstrations.
“Big day today… Some great college football to watch,” Missouri GOP Senator Eric Schmitt wrote on Saturday.
In photos: 'No Kings' protests reach Paris
Saturday 18 October 2025 15:40 , Kelly Rissman
January 6 was the real 'Hate America' rally, Rep. Jeffries says
Saturday 18 October 2025 15:30 , Kelly RissmanRepublicans have called the “No Kings” protests ”Hate America” rallies, prompting at least one Democrat to point to the January 6 Capitol riot.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, defended the upcoming protests, saying Friday: “Showing up to express dissent against an out-of-control administration, that’s as American as motherhood, baseball and apple pie.”
“What's hateful is what happened on January 6th. That was a ‘Hate America’ rally sponsored by Donald Trump and his sycophants, who incited a violent mob to storm the Capitol. That's what hate looks like,” he said. “What you'll see this weekend is what patriotism looks like.”
Congress members express opposing views of the 'No Kings' protests as millions expected to march
Saturday 18 October 2025 15:20 , Kelly RissmanAs millions of people are expected to participate in the protests across the country, members of Democrats and Republicans in Congress have expressed conflicting views on the ‘No Kings’ demonstrations.
In social media messages and press conferences, Democrats have urged constituents to peacefully protest while Republicans have labeled the demonstrations as “Hate America” rallies.
Illinois Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, for example, wrote on X Saturday morning: “I went to war to defend our nation. Now a wannabe dictator is trying to tear it apart—defying court orders, censoring the press, intimidating peaceful protestors and misusing our troops. Speak up. Speak out. Stay peaceful. Be safe. No kings.”
California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell wrote that he was “so excited” for Saturday’s demonstrations, prompting North Carolina GOP Congressman Richard Hudson to reply: “Imagine hating America so much you skip College Football on a fall Saturday.”
When and where are the 'No Kings' protests happening?
Saturday 18 October 2025 15:12 , Kelly RissmanThere will be more than 2,500 demonstrations across the country on Saturday.
Here’s when you can expect protests to begin in some of the country’s biggest cities:
- Protests in Atlanta start at 10 a.m. ET
- New York City’s demonstrations kick off at 11 a.m. ET.
- Boston and Washington, D.C.’s protests are set to begin at 12 p.m. ET. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders will be headlining the event at the nation’s capital.
- In Chicago, which has been grappling with the deployments of federal agents, demonstrations will start at 12 p.m. CT.
- Protests in San Francisco will start at 1.30 p.m. PT.
Democrats urge Americans to exercise their right to free speech and participate in 'No Kings' protests
Saturday 18 October 2025 14:47 , Kelly RissmanDemocrats urge Americans to participate in ‘No Kings’ protests.
“In our country, the power is with the people, and tomorrow I encourage everyone to get out there in peaceful protest of what is happening in our country and express our voice around the country we believe in,” former Vice President Kamala Harris said in a video posted to social media.
Democratic senator and Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer wrote in a social media post on Saturday morning: “I say to my fellow Americans this No Kings Day: Do not let Donald Trump and Republicans intimidate you into silence. That's what they want to do. They're afraid of the truth. Speak out, use your voice, and exercise your right to free speech.”
California Governor advised demonstrators to “do so peacefully, do so thoughtfully because there’s one person who hopes you don’t, that hopes there is disruption...He will exploit that. He will take advantage of that,” he said of the president at a press conference this week.
National Guard deployed in some GOP states ahead of 'No Kings' protests
Saturday 18 October 2025 14:40 , Kelly RissmanAs millions of protesters are expected to march in Saturday’s ‘No Kings’ rallies, two Republican governors have activated National Guard troops.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin wrote on X on Friday that he was authorizing troops to be in “state active duty” status to “to help keep Virginians safe.”
“With planned protests across the country this weekend, including in Virginia, I want to be clear that Virginians have a fundamental right to free speech and peaceful assembly, but that right does not include the destruction of property, looting, vandalism, disruption of traffic, or violence of any kind—for which there will be zero tolerance,” he wrote.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott also activated troops ahead of the protests.
“Today, I directed the Dept of Public Safety and National Guard to surge forces into Austin ahead of an Antifa-linked protest,” he wrote on X on Thursday. “Texas will NOT tolerate chaos. Anyone destroying property or committing acts of violence will be swiftly arrested. Law and order will be enforced.”
Read the full story.
National Guard will be deployed during No Kings protests in Texas, Gov. Abbott says
'Trump is aging faster than me – and I think I know why,' Clinton's former Labor Secretary says
Saturday 18 October 2025 14:27 , Kelly RissmanPolitical commentator Robert Reich, just 10 days younger than Donald Trump, discussed what he believes to be the president’s ‘big health problem’ that he doesn’t have: hatefulness.
“Hate is corrosive. It eats away at one’s health. It attacks a hater’s central nervous system by releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. It compromises a hater’s cardiovascular system with high blood pressure and heart disease,” Reich, who served as the Secretary of Labor during Bill Clinton’s administration, wrote for The Independent:
“It weakens the immune system, making the hater more vulnerable to all sorts of illnesses. It weakens the gastrointestinal system, causing stomach aches, nausea, and other digestive problems. It leads to difficulties falling and staying asleep. It causes muscle tensions that harm the jaw and neck, such as clenching and teeth grinding, and contributes to headaches and migraines,” he penned.
Read the full story.
Senator Bernie Sanders will headline the DC 'No Kings' rally
Saturday 18 October 2025 14:26 , Kelly RissmanVermont Senator Bernie Sanders will headline the Washington, DC "No Kings" rally near the Capitol building in what is expected to be the largest grassroots mobilization since President Trump returned to office.
“People fought and died throughout the history of this country to preserve our democracy. We’re not going to let Trump or anybody else take it away,” the independent senator said in a video on X.
I am looking forward to joining millions of Americans across the country at a “No Kings” rally tomorrow.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) October 17, 2025
I’ll be speaking here in Washington, DC.
I hope to see you there. pic.twitter.com/cuOZQL6Pj3
Republicans brand 'No Kings' protests as 'Hate America' rallies
Saturday 18 October 2025 14:14 , Kelly RissmanRepublicans have labeled the nationwide protests against the Trump administration as “Hate America” rallies and have insisted that Antifa is behind the demonstrations.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a press conference Wednesday that he expected to see ‘Antifa types’ at the demonstrations.
“We call it the ‘Hate America’ rally that’ll happen Saturday. Let’s see who shows up for that. I bet you see pro-Hamas supporters. I bet you see Antifa types. I bet you see the Marxists on full display,” Johnson said.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer last week blamed “the terrorist wing” of the Democratic Party as being responsible for the protests.
“We call it the ‘Hate America’ rally because you’ll see the hate for America all over this thing when they show up,” he said on Fox Business. “The rumor is that [Democrats] can’t end this shutdown because this small but very violent and vocal group is the only one that's happy about this.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi told Hannity this week that Antifa was “no different than MS-13 or any gang out there.”
In photos: Protesters around the world participate in 'No Kings' demonstrations
Saturday 18 October 2025 14:07 , Kelly Rissman
President Donald Trump insists he's 'not a king' ahead of nationwide protests
Saturday 18 October 2025 14:04 , Kelly Rissman“No Kings” organizers say the protests are meant to stand up to President Donald Trump’s “authoritarian power grabs.”
The president told Fox Business in an interview that aired Friday: “They're referring to me as a king. I'm not a king.”
Meanwhile, Trump has used the government shutdown, which began on October 1, to further his agenda. He’s insisted that he can unilaterally cut federal programs while the White House also tried to fire thousands of federal workers.
Last week, a federal judge in California temporarily blocked the mass layoffs of 4,200 federal employees. The judge said the administration had “taken advantage of the lapse in government spending.”
What were the first round of 'No Kings' protests like?
Saturday 18 October 2025 14:04 , Kelly RissmanSaturday marks the second round of “No Kings” protests.
The first occurred in June, when in thousands of cities and towns across the country, in large part to protest a military parade in Washington, D.C., which marked the Army’s 250th anniversary and coincided with Trump’s birthday.
Protest organizers at the time called the parade a “coronation,” which was symbolic of what they characterized as Trump’s growing authoritarian overreach.
The protests were largely peaceful, with very few arrests.
Millions expected to turn out for second 'No Kings' protests
Saturday 18 October 2025 14:04 , Kelly RissmanMillions of demonstrators across the country are expected to march in the second “No Kings” protests.
The first round of protests, held on June 14, saw more than 5 million demonstrators. This time, organizers expect even larger crowds across over 2,500 locations.
In June, the protests were largely peaceful, resulting in few arrests.
Organizers have emphasized these demonstrations will be peaceful, branding the protests a show of “nonviolent resistance and in defense of democracy.”
Still, several Republican governors have deployed the National Guard ahead of the protests.
