Letters | US ‘No Kings’ protests draw on the spirit of 1776
Readers discuss the survival of the American republic, the fading myth of American exceptionalism, and Donald Trump’s soybean problem
The “No Kings” movement draws on the moral spirit of 1776. Its rallying cry – “No thrones. No crowns. No kings” – evokes the United States’ revolutionary origins as a warning against modern autocracy. Protesters fear not overt tyranny, but the creeping erosion of institutions and the normalisation of unchecked executive power.
With disciplined organisation and peaceful resolve, the movement became one of the largest civic mobilisations since Trump’s return to office. Civil rights and teachers’ unions coordinated rallies, and some demonstrators wore inflatable costumes. Beneath the humour lay anxiety about issues like healthcare cuts and the militarisation of cities.
Critics dismissed the protests as partisan theatrics, but they were something broader. Protesters united not around party identity but around the principle of constitutional balance. In doing so, the cultural left rediscovered the language of classical liberalism: rule of law, separation of powers and limits on executive authority.
Trump’s reaction only reinforced the symbolism. He mocked the rallies by sharing AI-generated videos of himself wearing a crown.