'No Kings' protesters rally in cities, towns across the country

This is an absolutely shitty news report. There were tens of thousands of protestors in Philly today and the video shows about half a dozen.

On this "NO KINGS" day, let's take the time to sketch a portrait that illustrates Trump's transformation into a self-styled dictator. To start, he once made the conscious choice to post images of himself on social media wearing a crown while literally referring to himself as "KING." The official White House account amplified these posts no less... Then there's his immodest "renovations" of the White House, his fixation with personal vanity projects, with constructing grotesque monuments to himself, and his obsession with plastering his name and likeness on everything—behavior that is historically consistent with that of dictators, fascists and kings. Outside of all of the merchandise and real estate, the crypto schemes, the golf resorts and hotels, the clothing and accessories, footwear, watches, commemorative medallions and trading cards, digital NFTs, airlines, magazines, bibles, so on and so forth, Trump has exploited his power as president to mandate that his name and/or image be added to multiple landmarks and buildings, currency and coins, government programs and policies, navy battleships and fighter jets, national park passes, roads, among other things of course. Yes, Trump's hideously gilded oval office and visuals of his garishly decorated "ballroom" are clearly (and poorly) styled after the halls and palaces of monarchs. Trump has lived a very sheltered and privileged existence. He has the temerity to throw tone-deaf, elaborate parties at his various clubs and his Mar-A-Lago resort while showing cruel indifference towards the countless Americans who don't have the benefit or birthright to indulge in life's luxuries, excesses and pleasures. Donald Trump is co-opting and politicizing America's memory and its anniversary while he organizes and hosts his own tacky birthday military parades. Reminder that, in the same spirit as "The Hunger Games," Trump has decreed that all fifty states select two competitors to take part in an Olympic tournament to distract us from our country's systemic economic problems. Trump is shamelessly monetizing his presidency to the tune of billions. He is always thinking of ways to scam and grift the public while he deals in massive insider enrichment schemes to the financial benefit of the Trump family. He abuses his power as president to declare needless "emergencies" to enact his policy goals. He has already signed a record breaking number of executive orders to bypass checks and balances, overstep congressional authority and take control of the government's purse so he can unilaterally implement his agenda without any limitations to his authority. He defies court orders, threatens judges and law firms, and has consolidated prosecutorial power under his administration. His DOJ operates as his personal legal arm and he has weaponized every power and agency of the federal government to seek retribution against his political opponents, his critics in the media, and anyone who has ever wronged him. He openly accepts lavish gifts, bribes, cryptocurrency investments and donations from foreign governments, CEOs, billionaires, technocrats, corrupt overseas royals and petro-fascists—all of whom are hoping to literally purchase influence with the president, or receive explicit political and financial favors in return for their "contributions." Donald Trump is reshaping the government into an authoritarian kleptocracy that is concentrating economic power and resources into the hands of the few at the expense of the many. He has disgraced his office and has stripped the presidency of its dignity, its integrity and its very accordance with the law. He behaves like he is free from accountability, like he's somehow entitled to operate outside the justice system, like he's exempt from long standing constitutional traditions and democratic norms. He has even admitted as much, saying in so few words that the only standards he is beholden to are his own while posting comments like "He who saves his country does not violate any law." This quote is often attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte. Trump is insinuating that he can circumvent the rule of law whenever and however he pleases. In other words, dictator logic. Donald Trump is a rampant militarist, and US Interventionism is only acceptable when it suits his goals and/or narratives. To that point, Captain "bone spurs" has also launched into another open-ended foreign war in the middle east under false pretenses after explicitly campaigning on no new wars and an end to regime change. He has shown no genuine sympathy towards our fallen soldiers, nor the thousands of innocent lives that have been lost in this war so far—some of them children who died at the hands of our military and its incompetent commander in chief. Trump's law and order rhetoric is rife with dog whistles. Language that is used to incite violence and hostilities towards minorities, immigrants, marginalized segments of our society and anyone who is subjectively deemed a "left wing agitator." In other words, to Trump, his allies and supporters, "law and order" means punishing your enemies. This is reflected in the administration's militarization of domestic policy. It's reflected in Donald Trump's position: > "For my friends everything, for my enemies the law." When it comes to elections, Trump would prefer if they were performative. Him and his party have gone to great lengths to suppress the vote, subvert elections, and deny their outcomes when they lose. Now, to complete this picture, contrast the vanity and immense wealth of Trump with the financial struggles of most Americans. Question why the rich are getting richer while the majority of the American people contend with an ongoing affordability crisis that Trump has failed to address—while the poor and working class face mounting income and wealth inequality, rising costs and housing inaccessibility, regressive taxes in form of tariffs, sharply rising gas prices due to Trump's war in Iran... Juxtapose this portrait of a wannabe king with the millions of people losing access to their healthcare and food assistance, their community support structures, their social safety nets and economic opportunities. Compare Trump's life of extravagance, comfort and safety with images of dead troops and children overseas, with visuals of federalized state troops and trigger happy, unaccountable ICE thugs occupying the streets of our cities; terrorizing the public; suppressing civil liberties and cracking down on protestors who are critical of Trump and his policies. Yes, compare Trump's life of abundance to descriptions of "detention centers" that depict such horrid living conditions that they practically resemble concentration camps. Note the shocking difference between this profile of an American King and one of an American people that reflects financial hardship, inequality, depression, division and despair. Recognize this stark and disturbing contrast and the massive and multiple disparities separating the president from even his most loyal supporters. Acknowledge that Donald Trump believes he is entitled to everything, that his vanity and his pettiness are virtues, that he exists outside the law, that he is beyond reproach, that the constitution is beholden to him and his deranged and autocratic whims, that he answers to no one. And that no matter how compliant and faithful you may be, your interests are far outweighed by the interests of those who belong to an exclusive inner circle of family members, cabinet sycophants, corrupt co-conspirators, and rich MAGA donors.

What is with the lack of coverage. Unbelievable. Almost like they want to see things escalate before we can be heard.

My wife and I drove through a small west coast town yesterday. There were hundreds and hundreds of people protesting. I was surprised and heartened.

Over 8 million protesters! (Owned media)