National Guard on Standby as “No Kings” Protests Set to Sweep Across US
USA: Republican governors in multiple US states have placed National Guard troops on alert ahead of a nationwide series of protests opposing Donald Trump and his policies.
The “No Kings” demonstrations are planned at over 2,500 locations across the country today (October 18, 2025). Organisers say the rallies aim to challenge what they describe as Trump’s “authoritarianism,” arguing that the former president treats his power as absolute. “In America, we don’t have kings, and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty,” the organisers state on their website.
Trump allies, however, have accused the protesters of being aligned with far-left groups, including Antifa. Some Republicans have labelled the protests as “Hate America” rallies.
In response, governors in Texas and Virginia have activated their state National Guard units, though officials have not clarified the scale of their deployment.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the troops are being deployed due to a “planned antifa-linked demonstration” in Austin. Meanwhile, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has also mobilized the state National Guard ahead of the protests.
The move has drawn criticism from Democrats. Gene Wu, a top Democrat in Texas, argued that sending armed forces to suppress peaceful demonstrations mirrors the actions of kings and dictators.
At the previous No Kings protest in June, organisers claimed that over five million people participated to oppose Trump’s political agenda.
