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By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
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President Donald Trump has mocked those who participated in Saturday's No Kings protests by posting videos on social media depicting himself as a king.
Trump posted two artificially generated videos of him on his social media platform Truth Social—one in which he puts on a crown, and another in which he flies a plane with King Trump written on the side, and drops a brown liquid on protesters.
It came as the nationwide protests drew hundreds of thousands to the streets on Saturday in opposition to Trump on a number of policy issues.
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White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Newsweek: "Cry more libs!"
Why It Matters
Trump has been hit with protests and negative approval ratings during his presidency and the demonstrations reflect the extent to which he divides opinion in America.
When Newsweek inquired by email on Saturday about the No Kings marches, Jackson responded: "Who cares?"
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What To Know
Over 2,600 rallies took place simultaneously in cities across the U.S. and around the world, including ones in Germany, Portugal, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic. The No Kings campaign said the protests were held to "defend democratic norms and reject authoritarianism," with event leaders framing the demonstrations as a choice between "democracy versus dictatorship."
The plane video Trump posted on his platform was set to Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone," which was written for the movie Top Gun. The second, a black-and-white video, was set to the Avenged Sevenfold song "Hail to the King" and shows Trump putting on a crown and holding a sword up over his head in front of a group of people kneeling.
The No Kings group previously coordinated 1,800 protests across the U.S. on June 14, the same day as Trump's birthday and the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army.
Other groups have coordinated recent events including a series of over 200 protests on September 20 called Make Billionaires Pay.
What People Are Saying
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson asked if residents in his city were ready to “defend this democracy,” “fight fascism” and “destroy authoritarianism” before leading a crowd in a chant of “No Kings.”
Representative Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, in a post on X: “What an honor to speak at the No Kings protest in beautiful Philadelphia, where America was launched and Thomas Jefferson denounced King George’s 'long train of abuses' approaching 'absolute tyranny.' I’m seeing a lot of joy and strength in Philly.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in a post on X: “No Kings. Minneapolis is united for our neighbors, united for our democracy.”
What Happens Next
As Trump's presidency continues it is likely that he will be met with further protests from his critics. In response, the president has indicated he could invoke the Insurrection Act to federalize the National Guard and clamp down on future demonstrations.
Update 10/19 9:07 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with comment from the White House.
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