In a video that was retroactively set to private, on April 1, 2026, President Trump states "...They call me king now. Do you believe it? No king. I'm such a king, I can't get a ballroom approved. It's pretty amazing, right? I'm a king. If I was a king, we'd be doing a lot more. I'm doing a lot, but I could be doing a lot more if I was a king."
Organizers estimated that more than five million people participated in more than 2,100 cities and towns, including the flagship event in Philadelphia. More protests took place in the U.S. territories of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands, and in 20 foreign countries, including Canada, Japan, Mexico, and in Europe. In countries with constitutional monarchies, such as Canada and the United Kingdom, the alternate "Dictators" or "Tyrants" titles were favored over "Kings" to avoid confusion with anti-monarchic movements; Hawaiʻi did the same to avoid confusion with a King Kamehameha Day parade held on the same day and out of deference to the Hawaiian Kingdom.
The third event took place on March 28, 2026. In addition to the organizers' original plans, the 2026 Iran war, democratic backsliding, suppression of the Epstein files, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations were all subjects of protest. The organizers claim the protests included more than 3,300 organized events across the country that drew a combined estimated eight to nine million protestors. It was the largest single-day protest in American history. Millions of participants took part in protests across major cities, expressing concerns over democratic backsliding and military escalation.
Anti-war sentiment was a central theme of the protests, with demonstrators calling for an end to U.S. military actions in Iran and advocating for a shift in government spending priorities. Protesters displayed slogans such as "fund people, not bombs", reflecting opposition to defense spending and support for domestic programs. The protests formed part of a broader wave of demonstrations against the 2026 Iran war, which saw rallies organized in multiple U.S. cities and internationally.
At the rallies, many protesters focused on what they perceive as cruelty by ICE, particularly regarding the detention of individuals. Others directed their anger toward the war in Iran, calling it "a useless, vain war waged by a demented old man". Some also argued that service members are being asked to sacrifice their lives "not for freedom, but for money-hungry rulers".
President Trump responded by saying he was "not a fascist or a king" and dismissed the protests as "a joke". At the same time, he posted an AI-generated video of himself wearing a crown.
Protest messaging also included references to political accountability and elite networks. Some demonstrators referenced the Jeffrey Epstein scandal in their signage, including placards depicting merged or juxtaposed imagery of Epstein and Trump, particularly in New York City.
In some instances, protest-related unrest included symbolic acts such as flag burning. In Portland, demonstrators were documented burning an American flag and Nazi flag outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility during a "No Kings" protest. According to KPTV, a protester displayed a certificate stating that the American flag had flown over the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2025, the day of President Donald Trump's second inauguration.
