President Donald Trump and the White House issued a series of AI-generated videos and images on social media, targeting the millions who participated in "No Kings" rallies across the United States.
The demonstrations, held on October 18, drew an estimated 7 million attendees at approximately 2,700 events in cities and towns nationwide, marking the largest single-day civil action since the first Earth Day 55 years ago.
Protesters voiced opposition to the Trump administration's policies, particularly its handling of immigrants and vulnerable populations, while affirming their constitutional rights to free speech and assembly.
In New York City alone, over 100,000 people gathered peacefully, with no arrests reported by the New York City Police Department.
The rallies unfolded amid a prolonged government shutdown, with Democrats pressing for concessions on health care and Republicans holding firm.
Trump shared one video on Truth Social depicting himself crowned and piloting a fighter jet labeled "King Trump," flying over Times Square as Kenny Loggins's "Danger Zone" plays.
The jet releases what appears to be brown liquid onto the protesters below.
Another video, originally posted by Vice President JD Vance on Bluesky and reshared by Trump, shows the president donning a crown and robe, drawing a sword to the tune of "Hail to the King."
It concludes with footage of Democratic leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, kneeling in honor of George Floyd in 2020.
The White House posted an image of Trump and Vance wearing crowns, contrasted with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Schumer in sombreros.
"We're built different," accompanied the post.
Republican leaders criticized the protests in advance, attributing the government shutdown to the demonstrations and calling them "hate America" events.
Speaker Mike Johnson commented on Schumer's post about the rallies, stating, "If Trump was a king, the government would be open right now."
He paired it with an image of the Declaration of Independence signing, noting, "There’s already an actual ‘No Kings Day.’ It’s on July 4th, we call it Independence Day."
Schumer shared photos from the New York protests, declaring, "we won’t allow Trump to keep eroding our democracy."
No major incidents were reported at the gatherings.