Across the country this month, what’s being billed as the “No Kings” protests drew massive crowds and another round of theatrical, organized outrage aimed squarely at the administration. Millions, organizers say, turned out in cities from coast to coast to denounce what they call authoritarian tendencies in Washington, with major demonstrations staged on October 18 and earlier in June.
Don’t be fooled by the feel-good spin the left tries to sell; these weren’t spontaneous bursts of civic concern so much as centrally organized, coalition-driven events. Indivisible, 50501 and scores of allied groups coordinated the mobilization, making this less a grassroots moment and more a rehearsed political theater.
The media wants you to smile at the inflatables and viral photos, but humiliating costume stunts and spectacle do not change the fact that this is an ideological campaign meant to bully and intimidate dissenting voices. The Washington Post itself chronicled the inflatable tactics and the deliberate use of absurdity as a weapon to shape public perceptions and deflate opposition. Humor used as a political tool is fine — until it’s used to shut down debate and demonize ordinary Americans.
That’s why small but revealing moments matter. When conservative hosts like Dave Rubin share clips — even private DMs — that show the ugly side of these demonstrations, it exposes the contrast between their public virtue-signaling and private hostility. Conservatives aren’t afraid to call out bad behavior wherever it appears, and shining a light on the nastiness the mainstream glosses over forces a needed conversation about civility and accountability.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about generational finger-pointing for its own sake, it’s about responsibility. Too many from the older political class have clung to cultural and institutional power while lecturing younger Americans on morality, and when their rhetoric is stripped away by raw footage the image many want to project collapses. Hardworking patriots deserve leadership that earns respect instead of demanding it through staged spectacle.
Meanwhile, the culture of mockery and escalation cut both ways; public figures and activists have already weaponized AI and doctored media to lampoon opponents, a phenomenon even the Guardian documented recently as political players repurpose fabricated clips to score points. If our public square devolves into deepfakes, mudslinging and selective outrage, the first victims will be truth and trust.
Americans who love this country should reject both the performative anger and the cowardly smearing of anyone who disagrees. We stand for free speech, for law and order, and for honest debate — not for the staged moral purity of well-funded protest campaigns that cheer when inconvenient viewpoints are shouted down. It’s time the media stopped protecting the tantrum and started reporting the story Americans actually need to hear.
