2025年10月中旬，美國各地爆發近年來規模最大的一場全國性抗議行動，主題是「不要國王」（No King）。抗議浪潮席捲紐約、洛杉磯、芝加哥、舊金山、華盛頓特區等全美主要城市，數百萬名民眾走上街頭，高喊「民主而非君主」（Democracy, not monarchy）、「不要國王！」等口號，反對前總統唐納・川普（Donald Trump）近期的一系列行動與言論。這場抗議活動迅速升級，成為對川普政治風格與權力象徵化傾向的強烈反彈。

事件的導火線源於川普近日發布的一支爭議性AI生成影片。影片中，川普被塑造成一位「身披鎧甲、頭戴皇冠」的領袖，駕駛戰機向抗議群眾「灑下泥漿」，象徵他「鎮壓叛亂、清除敵人」的決心。這段影片在社交媒體上迅速傳播，引發輿論譁然，許多民眾與媒體評論認為這是川普將自己神化為「美國君王」的象徵性表態，公然挑戰美國建國以來的民主與共和制度核心價值。

在舊金山，一場特別引人注目的示威出現在海灘上。數萬名抗議者以人體組成了巨大的「NO KING」字樣，從空拍視角清晰可見，成為全國媒體焦點。然而，現場氣氛並不平靜，警方派出大量騎警與防暴單位維持秩序。根據現場影片顯示，有警員以警棍與馬鞭驅離群眾，甚至對未攻擊性的示威者使用暴力，引發民權團體強烈譴責。部分地區的抗議演變為與警方的衝突，造成多人受傷與逮捕。

在紐約時代廣場與華盛頓特區白宮外，民眾高舉標語牌，上面寫著「美國不是王國」「拒絕專制」「川普不是國王」。抗議者的訴求集中於反對川普近期宣稱「總統應有更大權限」、「國會應該服從行政令」等言論。他們認為，這些說法正在削弱三權分立與民主制衡原則，是向獨裁與威權邁進的危險信號。

川普陣營則迅速反擊，指責抗議者「被左派媒體洗腦」，聲稱這些遊行是「全球主義者操縱的騷亂」。川普本人在社交平台「Truth Social」上發文稱：「美國需要強大的領導，而不是懦弱的政客。人民支持我，因為我敢說真話、敢行動！」他並未對AI影片中的「國王形象」做出任何澄清。

政治觀察家普遍認為，這場「不要國王」運動不僅是對川普個人的抗議，更是美國社會對「領袖崇拜」現象的集體警惕。自川普重返政壇、宣布再次參選以來，他以「救世主」式語言、象徵化造像與對制度挑戰的姿態，重新撕裂了美國的政治與社會版圖。

而這場全美性的示威也讓人回想起1960年代的民權運動與越戰反戰浪潮。不同的是，如今的抗議者面對的不是外部戰爭或社會議題，而是對美國自身政治體制可能被個人權威侵蝕的深層焦慮。

截至目前，美國多地警方已逮捕超過一千人，部分地區進入宵禁狀態。白宮發言人則呼籲民眾「冷靜與理性表達訴求」，並表示聯邦政府「尊重公民的抗議權」。然而，隨著示威規模持續擴大，「不要國王」運動已不僅是一場政治抗議，更像是一場關於美國民主未來方向的全民辯論。

In mid-October 2025, the United States was swept by one of the largest nationwide protest movements in recent years, known as the “No King” demonstrations. Millions of people took to the streets across major cities—including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.—chanting slogans like “No King!” and “Democracy, not monarchy!” The movement erupted in opposition to former President Donald Trump’s recent actions and rhetoric, which many viewed as increasingly authoritarian and symbolic of monarchical power.

The immediate spark came from a controversial AI-generated video released by Trump himself. In the video, Trump is depicted as a “crowned warrior-king” flying a fighter jet and dropping “mud” on crowds of protesters—imagery widely interpreted as an allusion to suppressing dissent. The video spread rapidly across social media, igniting outrage and accusations that Trump was elevating himself to a near-divine ruler figure, openly defying the foundational democratic principles of the United States.

In San Francisco, a dramatic scene unfolded when tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered along the beach to form the words “NO KING” with their bodies—visible even from aerial footage. The event, though peaceful at first, escalated after mounted police and riot control units were deployed. Videos circulated online showing officers using batons and horsewhips to disperse crowds, leading to accusations of excessive force from civil rights groups. Several clashes were reported nationwide, leaving multiple people injured and hundreds arrested.

In New York’s Times Square and outside the White House in Washington, protesters carried signs reading “America is not a kingdom,” “Reject tyranny,” and “Trump is not our king.” Their demands focused on rejecting Trump’s recent claims that the U.S. president should have “greater executive powers” and that “Congress must follow the President’s directives.” Protesters and political analysts alike warned that such rhetoric undermines the separation of powers and poses a threat to the democratic system.

Trump’s campaign responded aggressively, accusing the protesters of being “brainwashed by left-wing media” and claiming the marches were “orchestrated by globalist forces.” On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, “America needs strong leadership, not weak politicians. People support me because I speak the truth and take action.” He did not, however, clarify or distance himself from the AI video that portrayed him as a king.

Political observers view the “No King” movement as more than an anti-Trump protest—it represents a collective pushback against the growing culture of leader worship in American politics. Since Trump’s reentry into the political arena and his announcement of another presidential campaign, his increasingly mythic self-portrayal and challenges to institutional limits have deepened the nation’s social and political divisions.

Some commentators have compared the protests to the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960s, though this time the struggle centers not on foreign conflicts but on internal threats to American democracy itself.

As of now, more than 1,000 people have been arrested nationwide, and some cities have imposed curfews to maintain order. The White House urged citizens to remain calm and express their views peacefully, emphasizing that the federal government “respects the right to protest.”

Still, as the demonstrations continue to grow, the “No King” movement has evolved beyond a momentary political outcry—it has become a national reckoning over the future of American democracy and the boundaries of presidential power.