WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has responded to nationwide “No Kings” rallies with an AI-generated video depicting himself as a crowned ruler piloting a fighter jet emblazoned with the words “King Trump”, dropping brown sludge on protesters.
The video, posted on Trump’s Truth Social platform on Sunday, came a day after millions of Americans marched in demonstrations across all 50 states, accusing the president of authoritarianism and abuse of power.
In the AI-generated clip, Trump appears wearing a gold crown and sitting in the cockpit of a fighter jet flying to the soundtrack of Danger Zone from the 1986 film Top Gun.
The aircraft then releases thick brown sludge over AI-generated protesters, who appear to scatter in chaos.
Trump has not issued a statement on the protests but appeared to reference them in a Fox Business interview aired on Friday, saying: “They’re referring to me as a king — I’m not a king.”
Republicans quickly rallied behind the president, dismissing the demonstrations as “Hate America rallies”.
Millions join ‘No Kings’ rallies
According to organisers, an estimated seven million people participated in more than 2,600 rallies nationwide on Saturday, from New York to Los Angeles, in what they described as a show of resistance to Trump’s increasingly hardline policies.
The protests — the second wave after similar demonstrations in June — saw large gatherings in major cities including Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, and Seattle.
Police in New York said more than 100,000 people marched peacefully across the city’s five boroughs, with no arrests reported.
On the West Coast, rallies in Los Angeles and San Diego drew thousands, while in Seattle, demonstrators filled streets stretching from downtown to the city’s iconic Space Needle.
Protesters denounce ‘authoritarian slide’
Participants accused Trump of undermining democratic norms and consolidating power by targeting political opponents, deploying National Guard troops in cities, and intensifying crackdowns on immigrants.
“The rallies are a patriotic defence of democracy,” organisers said in a joint statement shared on social media. “We reject any attempt to turn America into a kingdom.”
Critics of the president argue that his actions, including government shutdowns and confrontations with Congress and the judiciary, reflect a growing concentration of executive power.
Republicans hit back
Senior Republican figures dismissed the rallies as politically motivated. House Speaker Mike Johnson called them “hate America protests”, accusing demonstrators of undermining national unity.
Despite warnings from Republican officials that the protests could turn violent, authorities reported no major incidents. Demonstrators carried banners reading “No Kings”, “Defend Democracy”, and “Liberty Over Power”, and many wore costumes mocking Trump’s “royal” image.
The protests follow Trump’s return to the White House earlier this year and come amid a federal government shutdown that has halted key services.
