Rob Finnerty cut through the noise with the blunt truth most of the mainstream press refuses to say: the so-called “No Kings” crowd is driven more by raw anti-Trump animus and media-generated slogans than by coherent policy grievances. Watching elites cheer this circus while pretending it’s deep civic virtue shows exactly why ordinary Americans are fed up with a double standard in our national conversation.
Make no mistake, the “No Kings” events have been massive and national in scope, with demonstrations staged in thousands of towns on both June 14 and again in October — a show organizers framed as resistance to supposed authoritarianism. The scale made headlines and forced the country to confront the fact that this is not a small fringe moment but a coordinated movement backed by big progressive groups and amplified by friendly outlets.
But turnout and emotion do not equal legitimacy. As Finnerty observed on air, many participants appear to be marching because someone told them to hate Trump and handed them a slogan, not because they’ve soberly weighed the stakes or proposed workable alternatives. That is why Republican leaders and conservative commentators rightly point out that much of this is political theater meant to inflame, not inform.
When the mask slips, the ugliness underneath becomes impossible to ignore — from a Chicago teacher making a vile assassination gesture to widespread vandalism and obscene graffiti reported in cities like San Antonio. Those incidents expose the danger of normalizing mass protests without accountability: communities pay for cleanup, families feel threatened, and the bitter rhetoric seeps into everyday life.
Meanwhile the corporate media and late-night pundits vogue about Trump’s response instead of asking why protesters feel entitled to shout threats at everyday Americans. The left immediately labeled the president’s satirical AI clips “unpresidential,” while glossing over the real-world hostility and even calls for violence coming from some corners of the movement. The double standard is blatant and corrosive to national unity.
Conservatives aren’t denying the right to protest — we’re demanding honesty. Elected Republicans like Rep. Dan Meuser and Sen. Steve Daines have been perfectly justified in calling out the spectacle for prioritizing political theater over solving the real problems Americans face during a damaging government shutdown. Ordinary workers missing paychecks deserve governing, not rallies used as a wedge to score points.
Patriotic Americans should reject the cynicism of a movement that substitutes slogans for solutions and rage for policy. Rob Finnerty did the country a service by pointing out that much of the “No Kings” machinery is driven by canned narratives and hatred of one man, not a principled defense of our Constitution. If we want real reform, let it come through ballots and debate, not performative mobs and media stunts.
