Donald Trump and maga Republicans must pay attention to successful No Kings demonstrations- Donald Trump is a fascist that must be impeached

The value of the ‘No👑 Kings’ protests.  

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win" is widely attributed to Mahatma Gandhi" (1869-1948).

Opinion published in the Boston Globe by Renée Graham.

No, the marches didn’t eradicate the problems that protesters hope will be addressed. But, in community, our souls found the sustenance to keep pushing forward.

Many more than 7 ➕million people nationwide — in states blue and red, in large cities and small towns — participated in “No👑 Kings” rallies and marches on October 18, 2025,  to defend democracy and decry Donald Trump’s authoritarian rule. It was one of the largest single-day protests in American history.

Even before the last echoes of “No 👑Kings” chants, the “What did it achieve❓” postmortems kicked in. 

It was as if any public gathering of dissent that failed to end with Trump and his entire administration’s spontaneous expulsion from the White House could only be judged as a waste of time. (BUT, that was not the point.....the peaceful protest was to show how Donald Trump is not qualified to be president, he is a racist and a fascist....and Gloge columnist Renée Graham missed this salient message in her ambiguous post-mortem of the successful No 👑Kings peaceful demonstrations.) 

This, from a popular Bluesky user, captures that general sentiment: “Can I ask, what did the No 👑Kings protest actually accomplish❓ I mean, in real terms, what have these protests materially changed❓ ".....(please name this Bluesky user, it is public social media, afterall....)

Bu,t believe these peaceful No👑 Kings protests are a cauldron for political energy, and anger, and provides a grass roots path for meaningful change and disruption of the evil 👿Donld Trump Nazi regime.

“I don’t know what the answer is. A lot of people are energized and renewed by it. I really don’t because this is now the 3rd one of these and nothing seems to be changing at the ground level and they all seem to coincide with a major drain of energy and anger at what is happening.”

Nine months into the most destructive, corrupt, incompetent, lawless, and antidemocratic presidency this nation has ever suffered, people are still desperately looking for an antidote. 

Millions want to halt and reverse what’s happening. But other than wishing and hoping that Democrats show up and show out in next year’s midterm elections, they don’t have a clear sense of what can make a difference right now.

So Americns - Democrats, Independents and Republicans have taken to the streets to be seen, and heard and to find community.

I wasn’t at last weekend’s “No 👑Kings” rally in Boston.

But, in every march I’ve participated in, dating back to antiapartheid protests in college, I’ve met people who’ve said some version of this: “I’ve never done something like this before, but it felt important to be here.” They were doing, at the time, what they could do — make colorful signs, leave their homes, and let the world know where they stood.

Alone, they might often seems small. Among the millions in the dense throngs, they felt their own power, perhaps for the first time.

No, the marches didn’t quickly eradicate the problems that protesters want to see addressed. But in community their souls found the sustenance to keep pushing through and forward.

Fascism overwhelms. It breeds mistrust. It is designed to isolate us because of its bad actors, that know it is easier to conquer individuals than to confront a crowd. 

There’s reassurance in finding that you’re not alone and that, yes, things are as bad as — if not worse than — they seem.

Unlike the big-name law firms, tech billionaires, universities, and corporations that can’t capitulate to Trump fast enough, those who stand and march shoulder to shoulder among family, friends, and strangers are the ones saying “no” to this hideous regime.

That’s the importance of community in a moment that feels like an upside-down world without end, everyday.

But this is also crucial — Trump and his sycophants noticed. In fact, they were complaining days before the first protesters hit the streets. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson denigrated “No 👑Kings” as “Hate America”🤥 ( rallies and compared those exercising their patriotic right to dissent as “pro-Hamas.” There were claims that the protesters were “antifa” (which is not a thing, and the GOP knows it❗), and were being funded by George Soros, one of the few billionaires that Republicans despise because he supports Democrats.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas (Cruz to lose) falsely claimed that MSNBC’s video of massive crowds at “No👑 Kings” was actually footage from 2017, protests. 

Trump dismissed the protests as “a joke” and posted a vile AI-generated video of “No 👑Kings” marchers being doused in what looked like feces dropped from a fighter jet with Trump in the cockpit.

But, Donald Trump should also recognize that the most recent protests drew 2 ➕million more people than the ones in June. That momentum isn’t likely to flag. 

Now, Cruz (aka "Cruz to lose") is begging his party to “take political peril seriously.” In an interview on Bloomberg Television, he said, “There is a lot of energy. There is a lot of anger on the left.  And, of course, as Republicans know, elections are dangerous when one side is mobilized and angry.”😠💥

From the civil rights movement to the fight against AIDS, the impacts of political protests are never instantaneous because the corrupt do not yield power easily. But those in the streets aren’t just fighting for power — they’re fighting for their lives and their rights. Those who find the rallies frivolous should spend their energy strategizing and organizing in ways that they find effective. Protests aren’t one-size-fits-all endeavors.

But what happens in these streets can translate into work that’s not easily seen but can be effective in toppling tyranny and corruption. So, too, will the solidarity many will find and need in communities of like-minded strangers joined together to do whatever it takes to save this nation from its president.

This is an excerpt from Outtakes, a Globe Opinion newsletter from columnist Renée Graham. Sign up to get Outtakes in your inbox each.