Monday Memo

No Kings

This weekend, America took a long look at the idea of a dictator’s birthday parade—and said: hell no.

Across the country, the No Kings Day rallies reminded us what resistance looks like.

From San Diego to Charlotte, people showed up with cardboard crowns, upside-down flags, and enough “Fuck Around and Find Out” energy to short-circuit Truth Social

Because let’s be honest: Trump’s birthday parade was always for him. It wasn’t about veterans. It wasn’t about the troops. It was about cosplaying Caesar with tanks rolling through DC while he watched from a balcony like Mussolini, bloated with power and possibly also cake.

And in true Trumpian fashion, his most loyal followers got their military parade—and the realization that their king has no crowd. In fact, there was more crowd control than there was crowd!

Meanwhile, No Kings Day packed city after city with people saying what the press still won’t: we are not sleepwalking into fascism—we are racing toward it in a MAGA golf cart.

And now, as the echo of protest chants fades into the new week, the question becomes: what’s next?

Keep the Fire Lit 🔥

These rallies weren’t a one-off. They were the starter pistol, not the finish line. So let’s be real:

• The media can’t save us.

• The courts can’t save us.

• And the Democratic Party? Well… I’m still working on that.

If you showed up this weekend, stay loud. Stay organized. Make “No Kings” not just a chant—but a campaign. A movement. A voter guide. A damn T-shirt line.

And maybe, on the 4th of July, the last time we vanquished a king.

And Now, In This Week’s Episode of “Trump Screws His Own Base”…

On Friday, Donald Trump hit send on this masterpiece of a truth bomb (see below), claiming his immigration policy was never meant to deport the good ol’ workers and farmers—just the criminals. You know, the imaginary hordes Stephen Miller dreams about when he’s not polishing jackboots.

“In many cases the Criminals allowed into our Country by the VERY Stupid Biden Open Borders Policy are applying for those jobs. This is not good.”

— Donald J. Trump, 06/14/24

You can practically hear Stephen Miller’s blood pressure spike.

Because here’s the deal: while Trump plays populist karaoke for his base, Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem, Steve Bannon and Mike Flynn are the ones holding the deportation whip. They’re deporting everyone. Field workers. Line cooks. Abuelas, Housekeepers. Even MAGA-voting immigrants who thought the red hat came with job security.

And now? Trump’s business base is turning on him for saying the quiet part out loud: they need the labor.

Call it what it is: the fascist feedback loop just glitched.

Bottom Line

No King’s Day was a reminder that Americans still know how to say hell no to tyranny. But Trump’s immigration blunder reminds us why staying mobilized matters:

He’s not just coming for Biden voters.

He’s coming for his own voters too.

So this week, keep shouting. Keep organizing. And above all—remember there’s no such thing as neutral when the parade floats are being pulled by tanks.