adminFormer House Speaker Kevin McCarthy laid into the media narrative on Jesse Watters Primetime, telling viewers that what the “No Kings” protesters don’t understand is the difference between strong leadership and monarchy. McCarthy argued that critics like Karine Jean‑Pierre are weaponizing rhetoric to distract from the president’s accomplishments and the Democrats’ own failures. He made the case that calling a president a king is a lazy smear, not a substantive critique of policy.
The weekend’s “No Kings” demonstrations were massive and nationwide, with organizers reporting millions in the streets and many large cities recording largely peaceful marches. Conservatives should not pretend the scale of dissent doesn’t matter, but neither should Americans mistake volume for clarity of argument; much of the energy on display was performative and lacking a coherent alternative governing agenda. The protests took place October 18, 2025, across thousands of locations and, by most accounts, were orderly rather than violent.
President Trump pushed back bluntly, telling reporters “I’m not a king” and even leaning into satire when the left tried to paint him as a would‑be monarch. The response included social media posts and an AI video mocking critics — crude, yes, but effective at exposing the protest’s theatrical bent and the media’s hunger for sensational headlines. Americans should judge the moment by substance, not stunts.
McCarthy reminded viewers that Democrats have no governing message to offer and often resort to outrage instead of policy. He pointed out that when Republicans pursued transparency and investigations, the left’s response was selective outrage, a pattern that undermines their credibility with everyday voters. That charge of hypocrisy matters in a country where parents, workers, and small business owners want results, not perpetual protest theater.
Patriotic conservatives should see the No Kings rallies for what they largely are: an expression of elite grievance and cultural angst rather than a coherent defense of democratic institutions. Columnists on the right have rightly noted that many in the mobilized class fear a return of accountability that threatens entrenched bureaucratic power. If the left truly cared about democracy, they would compete on ideas and elections instead of endless street spectacle and performative virtue signaling.
The right must respond with clarity and confidence: defend the rule of law, protect free speech, and remind voters that strong leadership isn’t the same as dictatorship. McCarthy’s message was plain and patriotic — judge leaders by their transparency and results, not by labels tossed around by a hysterical media. Working Americans deserve a sober debate about policy, not endless pageantry.
