Massive 'No Kings' Protests Erupt Across US Against Trump's Policies
On Oct. 18 (local time), more than 2,700 "No Kings" protest rallies were held across the United States, with nearly 7 million people taking to the streets to voice their opposition to President Donald Trump's policies. Demonstrators protested against his harsh crackdown on immigrants, deployment of National Guard troops to Democrat-led cities, imposition of additional tariffs, and cuts to federal funding.
Republicans strongly condemned the protesters, labeling the events "hate America" rallies. In response, Trump posted an AI-generated video on his social media platform, Truth Social, depicting himself wearing a crown and piloting a fighter jet labeled "King Trump" to drop feces on the protesters below. Many American netizens argued that Trump's reaction precisely illustrated why the public felt the need to protest.
Government Shutdown Drives Public Servants to Join Protests
Since returning to the White House, Trump has sought to expand presidential power by dismantling federal agencies through executive orders, deploying National Guard troops to cities like Los Angeles and Washington without consulting state governors, and urging the Justice Department to prosecute his political opponents. These actions have sparked widespread public anger. Many protesters also expressed concerns over the Trump administration's cuts to federal funding. The demonstrations coincided with a federal government shutdown, which has left hundreds of thousands of federal employees on unpaid leave. Trump has taken advantage of the situation to further reduce funding for projects supported by Democrats and has threatened large-scale layoffs.
Anthony Lee, an employee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is among those forced to take unpaid leave. He stated that he joined the protests to protect public services, saying, "I've been a public servant for over 20 years, and it's terrifying to see the damage inflicted on our government and public services over the past few months."
Trump's AI Video of "Dropping Feces" Sparks Outrage
U.S. House Speaker, Republican Mike Johnson, described the Oct. 18 protests as "hate America" rallies. Trump's AI-generated video, posted on Truth Social, showed him wearing a crown and piloting a fighter jet with "King Trump" written on it, flying over American cities and dropping feces on protesters below. The video used the song "Danger Zone" from the 1986 film Top Gun as its background music. U.S. Vice President posted another AI video on the social platform Bluesky, showing Democrats kneeling to "King Trump." The White House's official X account also shared AI-generated images of Trump and the Vice President wearing crowns, alongside AI-generated photos of Democratic leaders in both houses of Congress wearing sombreros. Republicans have repeatedly used sombreros to mock Democrats, accusing them of catering to undocumented immigrants for votes.
One American netizen commented, "This guy (Trump) is insane! He must step down!" Another pointed out that Trump's response clearly demonstrated why the American people were protesting.
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