Organizers of the No Kings coalition say they expect their largest turnout yet on Saturday, driven by concerns ranging from immigration enforcement to the war in Iran. The progressive alliance is promoting the day on its website as “the biggest protest in US history” and urging people to join local events to oppose what it calls the administration’s “brutality at home and abroad.”
No Kings has listed more than 3,000 events across the United States, with additional demonstrations planned in countries including Mexico and Canada. This is the coalition’s third nationwide wave of protests; organizers contend President Trump’s conduct resembles that of a monarch rather than a democratically elected leader.
The White House dismissed the planned demonstrations. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson described them as “Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions,” said only reporters assigned to cover the rallies care about them, and accused the movement of being supported by major left-wing donors.
No Kings says its previous nationwide effort in October drew roughly 5 million participants across about 2,600 demonstrations.
Among groups aligned with No Kings is Third Act, founded by Vermont environmentalist Bill McKibben, which focuses on mobilizing older Americans. McKibben emphasized intergenerational solidarity, saying many older people are ready to join younger protesters. “If you’ve been to any of the No Kings protests that have happened so far, you’ll see a lot of people with hairlines like mine,” he quipped. He added that older Americans who have lived through many presidencies view the current moment as unusually close to authoritarian rule. “This is a very weird moment in our political history,” he said, suggesting that while past presidents he disliked did not seem fascist, he sees that as a growing danger now.
President Trump has repeatedly rejected comparisons to fascism or monarchy and has mocked the protests. He called the October demonstrations “a joke” and not representative of the country, though he has also leaned into royal imagery, sharing an AI-generated video that depicts him wearing a crown.
Dana Glazer, leader of the Visibility Brigade in the New Jersey suburbs, echoed concerns about authoritarian tendencies and stressed the importance of community in resisting the isolation that can feed extremism. Glazer and members of his group plan to protest Saturday in Paramus, where Visibility Brigade began. He said in-person gatherings reinforce dignity, respect and connection, giving people a sense of collective power.
Glazer expressed hope that No Kings events will spur continued peaceful civic engagement beyond large, organized demonstrations. He criticized what he called a broader lack of everyday civic participation, arguing that many people have been trained to regard voting every few years as sufficient civic duty — a mindset he believes has contributed to the country’s current political crisis.