President Donald Trump famously loves the trappings of royalty. The evidence is everywhere – from his now gilt and gold Oval Office to his unprecedented military parade to his plans for an extravagant, vaguely evocative of Versailles, White House ballroom.
No mystery there, Trump admits it. He boasts about it! Earlier this year, in response to, of all things, his administration’s attempt to stop New York City’s congestion pricing, he posted about himself, on Truth Social, of course, his own media platform, “LONG LIVE THE KING!” Nor did the White House rest there. It reinforced the message, recirculating it on Instagram and X, along with an illustration of Trump wearing, you guessed it, a crown.
The response to his half-jest, half-serious claim to being American King was No Kings Day. Held on June 14th, it was organized by a loose coalition of anti-Trump followers, groups deeply alarmed by what they perceive as Trump’s proclivity to power. Power that is centralized. Power that is centralized and that can be exercised in ways reminiscent of royals. Of royals when being a royal was not just symbolic. When it meant being in control, preferably control that was complete.
No Kings Day turned out either the largest or among the largest single days of political protest in American history. Moreover, estimates made by the Crowd Counting Consortium indicate not just that turnout was huge – somewhere between 2 and 4.8 million people participated – but that it was widespread. Nationwide were some 2,250 different actions.
Media tend to focus either on Trump or on Trump’s legions of servile followers. Sometimes they also cover instances of resistance – though only when they are dramatic. This week was widespread coverage of the admittedly remarkable display of anger directed against former Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. She made an appearance in her own district only to be stopped from even delivering her remarks by angry crowd that booed and jeered her straight off the stage.
Less attention, much less attention, is paid to protests that are peaceable. Even when, as in the case of No Kings Day, turnout is huge. It’s true that in and of themselves demonstrations like these, no matter their size, do not create significant change. In fact, if No Kings Day had any impact whatsoever on the Trump administration, I did not detect it. But no leader should ever underestimate the power of followers. Especially not when they have a common cause about which they feel very, very strongly. I therefore predict first that resistance to Trump will continue to grow. And that, second, in tandem with even a moderately effective leader of the opposition, Republicans will soon be brought down. Brought down even in next year’s congressional elections – if, that is, they are reasonably free and fair. If.