Mass 'No Kings' Protests, Trump Posts AI Imagery

Mass “No Kings” protests were held across all 50 U.S. states amid a government shutdown, with organizers estimating roughly seven million participants across about 2,500–2,700 rallies. Police said the demonstrations were largely peaceful with no major incidents or widespread arrests, and large gatherings and speeches took place in Washington and other major cities featuring speakers such as Mehdi Hasan, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez. President Donald Trump and campaign/TeamTrump accounts, primarily on Truth Social, posted multiple AI-generated videos and images portraying him as “King Trump,” including clips of him in a crown piloting a jet labeled “KING TRUMP” that drops brown liquid or feces on protesters and staged images juxtaposing Trump and allies in crowns with Democratic leaders in sombreros. Some clips singled out individual activists and used pop-culture cues like “Danger Zone.” Critics condemned the posts as juvenile and authoritarian and said they reinforced protesters’ complaints, while some Republican leaders dismissed the demonstrations as “hate America” rallies or accused participants of acting in bad faith.