The Republican party has been trying to downplay the massive anti-Trump “No Kings” rallies held across the country, calling the protesters extremists and predicting violence. However, a recent poll suggests that these concerns are shared by a majority of Americans. According to a survey from the Public Religion Research Institute, 56% of respondents believe Trump is a “potentially dangerous dictator whose power should be limited.” This number has nearly doubled since April, when it stood at 52%.
The same poll showed that 54% of respondents agree with the view that Trump is waging an “assault on constitutional balances and the rule of law,” while only 43% believe his overhaul of the federal government is a necessary correction. Notably, nearly half of independents strongly agreed with these sentiments.
These numbers are significant, as they indicate that Americans are concerned about Trump’s abuse of power. The poll findings align with previous surveys that showed similar concerns, such as 62% believing Trump has exceeded his authority as president and 69% thinking he is exercising more presidential power than other recent presidents.
Conservatives have argued that the “No Kings” message is non-sequitur given Trump’s democratic election, but this argument ignores the fact that Trump has disregarded the limits of his authority in extraordinary ways. The protesters are not calling for Trump to be a monarch, but rather that he exercise unchecked power when possible.
These concerns about Trump’s power abuses have been present since before his second term began, with many Americans expressing worry about his potential to rule as a dictator. The recent poll findings suggest that these concerns have grown more pronounced as Trump has sought to expand his powers.
The concern is not partisan, as similar numbers of Americans expressed concerns about Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s use of power in the past. However, there is a significant difference between these situations and Trump’s actions. The recent polls demonstrate that many Americans see something extraordinary happening right now and are speaking out against it.
Overall, the “No Kings” rallies may be misunderstood by Republicans as non-partisan or fringe movements, but they represent a growing concern among Americans about Trump’s abuse of power.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/22/politics/no-kings-rallies-trump-analysis