Millions of people across the U.S. took to the streets this past weekend in massive protests known as the “No Kings” demonstrations. These rallies were aimed directly at President Donald Trump and his actions during his second term in office. Organizers estimate that between four to six million people joined these protests nationwide—making it one of the largest protest movements in recent American history.
These numbers come from a team of independent journalists, including G. Elliott Morris, a former editor at FiveThirtyEight. While the figures aren’t official government counts, they are based on extensive data collection and are currently considered the most complete estimates available. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which helped organize the protests, also reported that over five million people participated.
Compared to Trump’s first term, political protests have dramatically increased. Data from a group that tracks protests, the Crowd Counting Consortium, shows that by this point in 2025, there have already been over 15,000 political protests. That’s almost three times more than the roughly 5,000 that had taken place by the same point in 2017.
The “No Kings” protests were specifically organized to push back against what many people see as Trump abusing his power. Some believe these protests may have drawn even larger crowds than the 2017 Women’s March, which until now has held the record for the biggest single-day protest in U.S. history. That event drew between 3.3 million and 5.6 million participants. The “No Kings” demonstrations might have topped that, with as many as six million people involved—almost 2% of the entire U.S. population.
The protests reflect how frustrated and angry many Americans are with Trump’s leadership. His second term has included harsh immigration policies, the use of the military to respond to mostly peaceful protests, and cuts to funding for things like medical research and universities. These actions have triggered widespread concern—not just from his critics, but also from people who once supported him.
A recent Quinnipiac University poll found that 54% of registered voters are unhappy with the way Trump is handling the presidency. Some of that dissatisfaction is coming from people who voted for him the first time around. One man named Peter Varadi, a 54-year-old from Los Angeles, said he regrets supporting Trump. He called Trump’s second-term actions “fascism taken to a new level” and joined the protests for the first time in his life.
These demonstrations are a powerful signal that many Americans feel Trump is going too far—and they’re determined to speak out about it.
