No Kings Protests Span 2,600 US Locations Amid Diverse Political Criticisms

The recent nationwide "No Kings" protests, involving about 2,600 demonstrations across all 50 states, aimed to oppose President Donald Trump's policies but have been met with sharp criticism from conservative commentators. Bill O'Reilly labeled the organizers as "far, far left" and accused them of hating America, while President Trump dismissed the protests as a "joke" and suggested they were funded by liberal billionaire George Soros. Critics argue that the movement, which claims to defend democracy, ironically supports authoritarian tactics such as rejecting political plurality and attempting to exclude Trump from ballots, reflecting a desire for strong central power rather than true democratic principles. Some Republicans and commentators, including Scott Jennings, have mocked the protests as misguided and irrelevant, emphasizing that the U.S. is not a monarchy and dismissing the protests as a waste of time. Additionally, the protests have been characterized as largely attended by older, nostalgic participants, with some media framing them as a moral crusade to "save democracy," despite accusations of hypocrisy given the Democrats' previous actions against Trump. Overall, the "No Kings" movement remains a polarizing and contentious issue, with its intentions and methods heavily debated across the political spectrum.