Nationwide Protests Ignored Warnings, Embraced Partisan Messaging

Foot soldiers within the "No Kings" protest movement are defying national organizers' directives to remain nonpartisan, openly embracing Democratic slogans and calls to action at events across the country. Despite explicit rules from the coalition's leadership forbidding partisan messaging, local chapters of the "No Kings" demonstrations are encouraging voters to "wear blue," to "vote Blue," and to "vote them out."

The "No Kings" operation, which has transformed anti-Trump protest crowds into a voter mobilization effort, involves a network of approximately 300 advocacy organizations, labor unions, and tax-exempt nonprofits with an estimated $2.5 billion in annual revenues. The national coalition's stated rules prohibit political parties, political committees, and candidate campaigns from coordinating or participating in the events, and explicitly ban partisan language.

However, on the ground, these rules are being disregarded. In Newark, Delaware, a local Indivisible chapter is encouraging participants to "wear blue" and has suggested sign slogans such as "Vote Blue Nov. 3" and "Time for a Blue Tsunami." Similarly, Indivisible Douglas County in Oregon is advertising its rally with signs reading "DOUGLAS COUNTY VOTES BLUE!" and "REPUBLICANS HAD THEIR CHANCE!"

During a webinar promoting the protests, Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, advised an organizer, "By all means, make it about Trump. Y'all make it about Trump. Create some conflict. Use some strong language." He added, "There's nothing about No Kings that says you can't focus on the fascists in the White House."

These local actions starkly contrast with the "Host Toolkit" provided by "No Kings" organizers, which states, "Events must not be partisan in nature or make references to preferred election outcomes." The toolkit also bars "candidate campaign activity" and explicit endorsements of candidates or parties.

Despite these prohibitions, partisan engagement is evident. In Roseville, California, the Placer County Democratic Party is promoting a canvassing operation directly tied to a "No Kings" rally, promising materials to help participants "support our endorsed candidates." The event is described on the local Democratic Party website as "a day of nonpartisan voter participation."

In Springfield, Pennsylvania, an event listed on the Women's March platform advertises a "No Kings FOUR" demonstration that includes the directive, "Vote Blue. Vote. Make Your Voice Count." This directly contravenes the national coalition's ban on "vote Blue" appeals.

Further examples include Indivisible of Franconia in Kingstowne, Virginia, promoting its rally with the statement, "We vote for leaders to represent our interests—and if they don’t, we need to vote them out." These actions highlight a disconnect between the national coalition's stated nonpartisanship and the actual messaging used by local organizers.

The "No Kings" coalition includes major labor organizations like the American Federation of Teachers and groups aligned with the Democratic Party, such as MoveOn, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and the Democratic Socialists of America. Many of these organizations have a history of substantial spending to support Democratic candidates and causes.

The legal implications of these activities are significant, particularly for tax-exempt organizations. Federal law prohibits 501(c)(3) charities from supporting or opposing political candidates, though other tax structures have different regulations. Indivisible itself operates through multiple entities, including a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and a political action committee.

Indivisible co-founders Levin and Leah Greenberg have also engaged in partisan discussions, expressing hopes for a "Democratic trifecta" in the upcoming elections and criticizing Republican candidates. Levin has stated that the effort is about "building towards a national Democratic trifecta in 2029."

The "No Kings" movement, which has drawn significant organizational support and funding, has been described by organizers as a strategy to transform protest participation into electoral engagement, aiming to increase voter turnout for Democratic candidates.