As Republicans try to minimize the effect of the No Kings protests, I find myself thinking more about the power people have in numbers. The No Kings protests took place in the U.S. on Saturday, Oct. 18, with people flooding the streets of Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Texas.
These rallies were held with the intention of demanding protection of constitutional rights, which protesters say are under attack by the Donald Trump administration. This rally was fundamentally aimed at demanding the right to democracy.
With more than seven million people joining these rallies across the U.S., Trump is actively trying to negate the influence of these protests by saying the people who chose to protest peacefully “hate America,” while continuing a slew of hate-fueled propaganda, which is being promoted by himself and his administration.
This propaganda takes the form of Trump and his team posting memes mocking protesters, including AI-generated videos featuring Trump wearing a crown and dumping brown waste on protesters, according to CNN. These acts of blatant disparagement, laced with lies and deceit, from Trump and his administration show that, despite Trump’s reaction of underplaying the cause and effect of these protests, he is using these forms of jeers and taunts to minimize and conceal how threatened he really feels.
In my opinion, Trump has always believed he is invincible. I draw this conclusion from his ongoing slew of legal allegations, criminal convictions and his long history of abusing power. Despite this idea of invincibility that Trump exudes, his facade is beginning to crack with the beginnings of these protests. In my opinion, when bullies who abuse their power are threatened, they resort to taunts and antagonization.
This abuse of power is nothing new for him. For those who are surprised by Trump exceeding his power, this form of abuse has always been present. You can look back at his first election to now and see a clear pattern, including through the riots he incited at the White House in 2021, his sexual abuse convictions and the shady business dealings he is involved in year after year.
Some groups in the U.S. repeat that Trump will bring detrimental harm to the American people and economy. Figures like Michelle Obama and Kamala Harris once expressed that “Donald Trump is increasingly unstable and unhinged.”
Trump is and always will be an abuser of power and a bully. He thinks if he screams a little louder and sprays on the orange tan a little more, that people will have no choice but to listen. However, the interesting thing is that people seem to be listening to him less and less.
Republicans can continue to take these rallies as a joke or dismiss the impact of the No Kings protests as much as they want, but at the end of the day, these rallies are real and impactful.
The more I think about the No Kings protests, the more empowered I feel, which is such a contrast to how I felt when he was first elected. These rallies are more than just a small cry for social change — they are drawing attention to the human rights violations Trump is committing and are demanding social change.
