Donald Trump Jr. defended his father against accusations of authoritarian tendencies in a Fox News interview that aired on October 22, 2025, after millions of Americans took to the streets in nationwide protests against the Trump administration.
“If he was a king, he probably would have never left the office the first time,” he insisted, addressing concerns that have fueled the growing opposition movement.
Opponents of Trump point out that while he did leave office in 2021, it was only after he urged his supporters to launch a violent assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to block the election’s certification and keep him in power.
The younger Trump’s comments came amid mounting tensions over President Donald Trump’s expanding use of executive power since returning to the White House in January. The president has deployed executive orders to dismantle parts of the federal government and sent National Guard troops to US cities despite objections from state governors. He has also directed top law enforcement officials to prosecute his perceived enemies, actions that critics characterize as unconstitutional threats to American democracy.
President Trump addressed the controversy in his own Fox News appearance. “They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” he stated in an interview broadcast Friday before departing for a $1 million-per-plate fundraiser at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
The interviews followed massive demonstrations on Saturday, October 18, 2025, when approximately seven million people participated in what organizers called No Kings protests across the United States. More than 2,600 events took place in cities large and small, from packed crowds in New York City’s Times Square to gatherings in hundreds of smaller communities. Protesters carried signs reading “Democracy not Monarchy” and “The Constitution is not optional” while marching bands played and demonstrators wore inflatable frog costumes that have emerged as symbols of resistance.
The demonstrations marked the third mass mobilization since Trump’s return to office and unfolded against the backdrop of an 18-day government shutdown. Republican leaders had attempted to preemptively discredit the protests throughout the week, with House Speaker Mike Johnson referring to them as hate America rallies. Johnson warned that the events would showcase antifa types, people who hate capitalism, and Marxists in full display.
Several Republican governors mobilized National Guard troops ahead of the protests, citing concerns about violence. Kansas Senator Roger Marshall indicated that the National Guard would need to be deployed, though he expressed hope the events would remain peaceful, but doubted they would be. Texas Governor Greg Abbott activated his state’s National Guard due to what he termed planned antifa-linked demonstrations in Austin, where approximately 30,000 people ultimately gathered peacefully.
Despite the dire predictions from Republican officials, the protests proceeded without significant incidents. The New York Police Department reported that more than 100,000 people gathered across all five boroughs with no protest-related arrests. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders addressed crowds in Washington, asserting that participants attended because they loved America and warning that the American experiment faced danger under the Trump administration.
Beth Zasloff, a freelance writer and editor who joined the New York protest, expressed feeling outraged and distressed at what she described as a move toward fascism and authoritarian government under the administration. Massimo Mascoli, a 68-year-old retired electronic engineer from New Jersey who grew up in Italy, told reporters he was protesting because he feared the US was following the same path his home country took in the last century. He cited particular concerns about the immigration crackdown and healthcare cuts affecting millions of Americans.
In Bethesda, Maryland, one demonstrator held a sign reading “Nothing is more patriotic than protesting.” Brian Reymann, attending the Washington rally while carrying a large American flag, described being called a terrorist all week by Republicans as pathetic. He acknowledged disagreeing with Republican politics but insisted he did not believe they lacked love for the country, instead characterizing them as misguided and power hungry.
The protests extended beyond US borders, with several hundred demonstrators gathering outside the American embassy in London and additional rallies taking place in Berlin, Madrid, Rome, Barcelona, and Toronto. In Toronto, protesters near the US consulate waved signs including “Hands off Canada.”
Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, speaking days after the protests, characterized the shutdown as giving Trump the ability to exercise what he termed king-like powers. Murphy suggested the president preferred keeping the government closed because it allowed him to open only the parts he wanted and pay employees loyal to him. He described this as part of what happens in totalitarian states.
A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 40 percent of Americans approved of Trump’s performance as president, while 58 percent disapproved. The president has dismissed accusations of dictatorial or fascist behavior as hysterical, maintaining that his actions are necessary to rebuild a country in crisis.