Largest Protest Since Trump’s Second Term Begins Draws Over Seven Million Participants
January 4, 2026
Terrence O'Brien, the weekend editor at The Verge, with over 18 years of experience—including a decade as managing editor at Engadget—provides coverage of recent widespread protests.
Massive Demonstrations Mobilize Over Seven Million
Saturday marked the most significant day of protest since the start of Donald Trump's second term, with organizers of the No Kings protests estimating that more than seven million people took to the streets nationwide to oppose the president's policies and tactics.
Nationwide Reach and Growing Opposition
Indivisible, the group behind the protests, reported over 2,700 events across all 50 states, showing a substantial increase from the approximately five million protesters at 2,000 events during the June No Kings day. Several individual protests drew crowds exceeding 100,000 people, including notable gatherings in Twin Cities, New York City, and Chicago, the latter with an estimated 250,000 participants.
Chicago’s Protest and Immigration Policies
The large turnout in Chicago is partly attributed to the city’s recent immigration crackdown, which has sparked several high-profile incidents involving ICE agents.
Provocative Response from the Presidency
In response, President Trump and his administration posted a series of social media images and videos. One notably controversial clip depicts the president dropping what appears to be feces on protesters from a fighter jet.
Use of Symbolism and Loaded Imagery
Additionally, multiple images and videos refer to Donald Trump as "King Trump" and depict him wearing a crown, including a post on the official White House X account. These visuals suggest that the administration has abandoned pretense, embracing overt symbolism in its messaging.
Stay Informed
Follow topics and authors related to this story for more updates on your personalized homepage feed and via email notifications.
Written by Terrence O'Brien