June 14 is a date with weight.
It marks the 250th anniversary of the United States Army, the birthday of President Donald Trump, and now, thanks to a coalition of Reddit users and celebrities, it will also host a national protest dubbed “No Kings.”
While the military rolls M1 Abrams tanks through Washington, D.C., and honors two and a half centuries of service, critics are marching across parks and intersections in protest.
Protest Meets Pageantry
This weekend’s Army celebration features flyovers, military history, and presidential remarks; what many see as a patriotic tribute.
The $45 million cost isn’t small, but it’s hardly out of line for a nationwide milestone.
Still, organizers of the “No Kings” protest call it a dangerous spectacle – an attempt to stir nationalism and project strength more fit for a despot than a president.
The 50501 Movement, which began on Reddit and spread through social media, has coordinated over 2,000 separate protest sites in all 50 states.
The movement’s message is loud but straightforward: “Trump is not a king.”
To be clear, no one has claimed he is. But for the organizers, symbolism matters.
June 14, they say, is the perfect day to push back.
Chrissy Teigen promotes the “No Kings” nationwide anti-Trump protests and goes on an unhinged rant against Trump pic.twitter.com/61D2X383BX
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 13, 2025
Chrissy Teigen: Face of the Resistance?
Actress and influencer Chrissy Teigen is perhaps one of the most visible backers of the protest.
She posted widely on social media, urging her millions of followers to take part.
That said, her history complicates her role.
Critics quickly resurfaced old tweets from 2011 and 2012, where she told then-teen Courtney Stodden to “go to sleep forever.”
Public apologies followed years later, but the episode still hovers over Teigen’s efforts to brand herself as a defender of decency and democracy.
Conservative voices like Sean Hannity and Ben Shapiro didn’t hesitate to point out the inconsistency.
“Hollywood hypocrisy,” Hannity called it, reminding viewers that Teigen’s lifestyle in Beverly Hills looks more royal than revolutionary.
Others questioned the judgment of turning a nationwide political message over to someone whose past includes documented online harassment.
The Conservative Response
Not surprisingly, right-leaning media and commentators pushed back on the protest with speed and energy.
Ben Shapiro called the whole effort “a tantrum,” while Laura Ingraham labeled it “anti-Americanism dressed as activism.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene went further, accusing protestors of disrespecting the military on a day set aside to honor it.
She wasn’t alone. Social media lit up with patriotic hashtags and photos of American flags waving beside Abrams tanks.
To most parade attendees, this weekend’s display isn’t about Trump. It’s about tradition, duty, and honoring service.
And there’s nothing unusual about a president participating in a national military celebration, especially one tied to a historic milestone.
Warnings, Boycotts, and Billionaires
On the flip side, the protest movement is attracting corporate backers like Christy Walton, heiress to the Walmart fortune, who funded a New York Times ad endorsing “No Kings Day.”
The move sparked backlash and calls for boycotts.
Online forums on both extremes buzzed with tension.
Some far-right accounts even threatened violence, prompting intelligence agencies to monitor protest zones more closely.
Meanwhile, cities braced for disruption.
ICE trackers, protest heat maps, and Reddit threads stitched together a kind of decentralized digital uprising.
Whether that’s effective democracy or disorganized theater depends on who you ask.
What’s Really Going On?
On its surface, “No Kings” claims to stand against authoritarianism.
But its opponents argue that a parade with military flyovers and historical reenactors is hardly proof of tyranny.
After all, the American people elected Trump. Twice.
The real divide seems less about kings or tanks and more about symbols: what they mean, and who gets to define them.
Some Americans see today’s parade as a strong nod to the past, a reaffirmation of the nation’s military heritage.
Others view it as the final straw, proof that the country is veering toward danger.
In the end, America is a country where protests are allowed, speeches are scrutinized, and presidents aren’t kings.
It’s good to remember that.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
