Importance of the 'No Kings' protests

On Oct. 18, 2025, approximately 7 million Americans gathered in almost 2,700 communities across our country to protest the increasingly authoritarian actions and policies of President Trump's second term. Only Earth Day in 1970 was a larger single-day protest of our citizens. The "No Kings" protest of 5 million on June 14, 2025, is the third-largest protest to date, indicating a growing movement. The recent elections delivered an even stronger message that Americans are concerned about authoritarian approaches to governing. The concern that Trump is increasingly acting like a king or dictator is so significant that protests have also occurred in Canada and across Western Europe. Much of the free world is concerned about the harm Trump is inflicting upon democracy. "No Kings" is a grass-roots movement with some funding from various foundations. I know many of the people who participated in the Tri-Cities, and they are not radical and were not paid. Amazingly, the protests involving millions of people were peaceful. They demonstrated genuine concern about our country's direction under Trump's leadership. Warnings during the 2024 election about the danger of Trump overreaching his authority were based on: Trump's efforts to undermine the 2020 election; his refusal to participate in a peaceful transfer of power in 2021; and his pledge to seek retribution against his political opponents. He also said he would be a dictator on day one if elected. As I write this, Dick Cheney, the conservative former Republican vice president, just passed away. When Trump was running for his second term, Cheney called him the "greatest threat to our republic" and said that he could "never be trusted with power again." I want us to consider if that is true. In Trump's first term, his worst tendencies were checked by these guardrails: good conservative public servants like Tillerson, Pence, Ryan and Barr, and Generals Kelly, Mattis and Milly; a courageous Congress; and a balanced Supreme Court. Without those guardrails, Trump has surrounded himself with unprincipled people who do his bidding. We have a dysfunctional Congress and a Speaker who refuses to convene the House to address our country's essential problems. Johnson is doing this to avoid seating a duly elected representative who would provide the vote needed to release the Epstein files, which 79-89% of our country supports. Instead of serving justice, Mike Johnson is doing the president's bidding to protect Trump and some of his supporters. Let's consider whether Trump's actions and policies are more like those of a king or a dictator than those of the president of the United States. The president does have limited power to set tariffs, but not in the way Trump has. Trump's tariff policy will raise the average U.S. tariff rate to the highest since 1940. Most economists accurately predicted that those tariffs would lead to higher prices, increased inflation, and slower economic growth. They are particularly hurting our farmers. In fact, the supposedly great deal Trump just reached with China leaves us in no better condition than when he took office. The Department of Justice is not the president's to do his bidding. The DOJ filings against Trump's political enemies have claims, not evidence. Have you seen the DOJ used this way? The claims that the DOJ was weaponized against Trump are not supported by facts. The DOJ did not bring charges or convictions against Trump for things like sexual abuse, defamation, civil fraud, falsifying business records, and election interference. Those went through a typical grand jury process, and his peers determined his innocence or guilt in a trial. The delayed Jack Smith special counsel investigation is the only one involving the DOJ. There was reasonable evidence that Trump abused his presidential power. The claim that the DOJ was weaponized against Trump seems questionable. No one is above the law. Presidents have made minor changes in the White House, while leaving intact the footprint of the "People's House." The recent demolition of the East Wing marked a reversal of Trump's earlier promise in July that none of the White House's existing structures would be torn down for the construction of his 90,000-square-foot $300 million ballroom. Replacing the historic East Wing with a ballroom doesn't seem important to many, but telling the truth is. Trump lied on July 31. We want a president we can trust to serve the needs of our citizens, not his need to entertain wealthy supporters. So, hours before an estimated 42 million people faced food insecurity due to the loss of SNAP benefits, Trump held a lavish Great Gatsby-themed Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago. While people face potential loss of their health care, Trump gives $20 billion to the authoritarian president of Argentina. While everyday Americans are fighting inflation, billionaire Trump is asking taxpayers to pay $230 million of his legal bills. While our country is divided, Trump sends military troops and armed, masked ICE agents into our cities to intimidate innocent Americans instead of working with local and state law enforcement to address critical issues like border security. Rather than making America great, Trump directs his energy toward his crypto firm, which has enriched his family. Is Trump governing for us or himself? History shows that monarchies and other forms of authoritarian rule typically bring suffering to the people. John Dalberg-Acton expressed it well in 1887: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." We knew that in 1776. Let's not forget it now. Rick Toomey, Ed.D., is a former minister, counselor, organizational development consultant, assistant professor, and university department chair for Organizational Development and Training. You can email him at ortoomey@gmail.com.