The second round of the ‘No Kings’ protest movement against President Donald Trump and the alleged authoritarian drift in the administration drew attention in the United States on October 18, 2025. More than 2,700 demonstrations took place across the country, according to The Guardian.
The coordinated protests were supported by Hollywood stars including Mark Ruffalo, Jimmy Kimmel and Robert De Niro.
Organizers described the initiative as an effort to highlight their concerns about governance and civil liberties, referencing the country’s founding principle that rejects kings. Many other public figures shared messages online or joined in-person gatherings to encourage people to attend events and defend civil liberties.
Actor Mark Ruffalo, a vocal critic of Donald Trump’s administration, recognized the hero of recent protests in Gainesville, Florida, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and New York City. On October 18, 2025, he shared a post on Threads stating that he was surprised by the turnout.
“Unbelievable. Many people love America and want NOKING,” Ruffalo wrote.
According to Variety, on October 9, 2025, Robert De Niro appeared in a video posted on the TikTok page of the political activist group Indivisible. The actor highlighted the historical background of the No Kings protests and said:
“The original protest against the kings was 250 years ago. Americans decided they did not want to live under the rule of King George III. They declared independence and waged a bloody war for democracy. We have had two and a half centuries of democracy since then. Often challenging, sometimes confusing, always essential.”
De Niro continued to launch a direct attack on the current Donald Trump administration, saying:
“Now we have a future king who wants to take it away from us: King Donald the First. Fuck it. We are rising again, this time, raising our voices nonviolently to declare: There are no kings.”
He ended the video by urging citizens to attend the national No Kings protests.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Kimmel He offered his share of feedback and support with a touch of humor. On October 17, 2025, the late-night host posted an infographic on Instagram, citing a list of sarcastic nicknames for Donald Trump, which could be included on protesters’ signs.
Some of the proposed names included “Commander at Theif”, “Greedy McGolfy”, “Mar-a-Lardo”, “Orange Julius Caesar” and “Uncle Scam”. Kimmel shared the list with the following title:
“When you make your #NoKings signs, remember… Donald Trump LOVES a good nickname.”
Reactivation of the ‘No Kings’ protest against Donald Trump
The ‘No Kings’ protests against Donald Trump originally broke out on June 14, 2025. Civic groups, labor unions, and civil rights organizations organized demonstrations across the United States to protest signs of an alleged authoritarian shift in the Trump administration.
The protests arose from outrage against Trump’s policiesincluding ICE raids in US cities, cuts to federal funding including education and health, as reported by CNN. The protest, organized under the slogan “No Kings”, referred to the fundamental rejection of monarchical authority in the United States and aimed to protect the democratic principle through peaceful protests.
The protests on October 18 were attended by nearly seven million people and were largely peaceful, according to CNN.
Senator Bernie Sanders He also participated in the No Kings protest in Washington, DC, criticizing Trump’s policies such as the deployment of US military troops to cities and aggressive measures against undocumented immigrants.
Stay tuned for more updates.
Edited by Riya Peter
