As Millions Protested “No Kings,” Trump Did This

Summary

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Bulwark Takes – As Millions Protested “No Kings,” Trump Did This

Host: The Bulwark (Will Saletan)
Date: March 30, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of Bulwark Takes, hosted by Will Saletan, addresses the nationwide “No Kings” protests, highlighting widespread resistance to Donald Trump’s increasingly monarchical actions as president. Saletan breaks down how Trump’s recent conduct—placing his image and name on national symbols, defying long-standing legal norms, and demonstrating open contempt for constitutional checks—resembles that of a king or monarch, not a democratically elected leader. Using numerous clips from recent Trump appearances, Saletan argues that this dangerous trend is precisely what citizens are protesting against, underscoring the urgency for public pushback.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The “No Kings” Protests (00:39–01:24)

• Millions have participated in a third “No Kings” protest nationwide, emphasizing the urgency Americans feel about resisting Trump’s attempts to aggrandize presidential power.
• Host’s Framing: The stakes are significant—Trump is acting more king-like with each passing week, a development both "deadly serious" and "kind of cringe."

2. Trump’s Gold Obsession and Self-Naming (01:24–01:43)

• Trump decorates the White House with gold trim, boasts about “the real stuff,” and refers to the “Trump Kennedy Center.”
• Quote: “See, I'm a gold person. It's all real stuff…which is what this building deserves.” — Donald Trump (01:24)

3. Trump’s Name and Image on National Symbols (01:43–04:50)

• Trump pushes through new coin designs featuring his face (including a $1 coin and a gold 250th-anniversary coin).
• The Commission of Fine Arts, appointed by Trump, flouts a 150-year-old law that bars living persons from U.S. currency.
• Quote: “Putting the face of your leader on coins is what monarchies do…It’s literally how you treat a king.” — Will Saletan (03:14)
• The Treasury also announces Trump’s signature will go on U.S. paper money—a historic first.

4. Trump’s Courts and Cabinet: “You Can Do Anything You Want” (04:50–05:26)

• In a cabinet meeting, Trump’s envoy (Steve Witkoff) affirms:
  Quote: “You can do anything you want.” — Steve Witkoff (04:57)
• Saletan frames this moment as evidence of sycophancy and the kingly aura around Trump.

5. Hypocrisy on Mail-In Voting (05:26–06:42)

• Trump condemns mail-in ballots as “mail in cheating”—except when he uses them himself.
• When challenged about this, he claims, “Because I’m President of the United States…I did a mail in ballot,” despite being present during early voting in Florida.
• Quote: “The rules that he applies to little people don’t apply to him…and that’s the least of it.” — Will Saletan (06:42)

6. Attacks on the Judiciary (07:11–08:17)

• Trump calls for Congress to “crack down on rogue judges…they’re criminals.”
• Rages at Supreme Court Justices he appointed for decisions he dislikes:
  Quote: “Two of the people that voted for [the decision], I appointed, and they sicken me. They sicken me because they’re bad for our country.” — Donald Trump (07:55)

7. Demonizing the Press (08:38–08:52)

• Trump labels The New York Times as “fake” and says their reporting is “almost treasonous.”
• Quote: “That is not the way a president talks. That is the way a king talks.” — Will Saletan (08:52)

8. Sidestepping Congress on War (09:20–09:38)

• Trump refers to the ongoing conflict in Iran as a “military operation” rather than "war" to avoid Congressional approval.
• Quote: “As a military operation, I don’t need any approvals. As a war, you’re supposed to get approval from Congress…so I call it a military operation.” — Donald Trump (09:20)

9. Dismissing Congress on NATO (10:11–10:24)

• Trump asserts he can unilaterally pull America out of NATO:
  Quote: “I don’t need Congress for that decision, as you probably know. I can make that decision myself.” — Donald Trump (10:11)
• Saletan frames this as a further disregard for constitutional procedure.

10. Royal Friendships and Admiration for Kings (10:55–12:57)

• Trump disparages the British prime minister but calls the king “a great gentleman”—he “loves all the kings,” especially those in Saudi Arabia.
• He relays praise from both the Saudi and Russian “kings” (referring to the crown prince and Vladimir Putin) about his leadership.
• Quote: “Trump doesn’t love America. He loves his friends. His friends are rich people. Especially kings.” — Will Saletan (12:09)

11. Final Rallying Cry: Defending Democracy (12:57–13:46)

• Saletan concludes by stressing the point: Trump’s growing disregard for democratic norms is why the “No Kings” movement matters so deeply.
• Quote: “If we don’t want to be ruled by a king, we cannot stay home anymore. We have to come out and take down this king and his party every election from now until he’s gone.” — Will Saletan (13:32)

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Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• “See, I'm a gold person. It's all real stuff…which is what this building deserves.”
  — Donald Trump (01:24)
• “The Trump Kennedy Center. He did that…he’s basically doing to our capital city what a dog does to a tree.”
  — Will Saletan (01:43)
• “Putting the face of your leader on coins is what monarchies do…It’s literally how you treat a king.”
  — Will Saletan (03:14)
• “You can do anything you want.”
  — Steve Witkoff (04:57)
• “Because I’m President…that’s why I used a mail in ballot.”
  — Donald Trump (05:52)
• “Bullshit. He used a mail in ballot because as he said, 'I’m President.' The rules that apply to little people don’t apply to him.”
  — Will Saletan (06:42)
• “We got rogue judges that are criminals. They’re criminals.”
  — Donald Trump (07:28)
• “They sicken me because they’re bad for our country.”
  — Donald Trump (07:55)
• “The New York Times, which is fake…It’s almost treasonous.”
  — Donald Trump (08:38)
• “As a military operation, I don’t need any approvals. As a war, you’re supposed to get approval from Congress…so I call it a military operation.”
  — Donald Trump (09:20)
• “I don’t need Congress for [leaving NATO]. I can make that decision myself.”
  — Donald Trump (10:11)
• “The king is a Great gentleman.”
  — Donald Trump (11:18)
• “A man that we just discussed, the king, the future king of Saudi Arabia. And I also love the king of Saudi Arabia. What a man he is.”
  — Donald Trump (11:46)
• “President Putin called me. He said, I can’t believe you stopped this one and this one, which are impossible.”
  — Donald Trump (12:50)
• “We say no kings because we have a president who thinks he is a king…If we don’t want to be ruled by a king, we cannot stay home anymore.”
  — Will Saletan (13:32)

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Episode Structure by Timestamps

• 00:39–01:24: Introduction to the “No Kings” protests; Trump’s royal behavior.
• 01:24–04:50: Trump’s name and face on coins and buildings; breaking historic norms.
• 04:50–06:42: Cabinet sycophancy; mail-in ballot hypocrisy.
• 06:42–08:17: Attacking the judiciary; disrespect for court independence.
• 08:38–09:38: Demonizing the press; military actions without Congress.
• 09:38–11:18: Justifying unilateral action in foreign policy, especially NATO.
• 11:18–12:57: Trump’s love for kings and autocrats abroad.
• 12:57–13:46: Saletan’s conclusion: preserving democracy means rejecting “kings.”

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Tone and Takeaways

Saletan uses a tone that blends urgent warning with biting sarcasm, often highlighting the absurdity and severity of Trump’s actions through incredulous commentary and direct evidence. The core message: With millions in the streets protesting against authoritarian tendencies, it’s crucial for Americans to defend democracy against a president who increasingly behaves like a king.

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Transcript

[Bleacher Report Announcer]

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[Tyler Redick]

Tyler redick here from 2311 racing another checkered flag for the books. Time to celebrate with Chumba. Jump [e-mail] let's Chumba.

[Will Saletan]

No purchase necessary BTW group void work prohibited by law. CTNC21+ sponsored by Chumba Casino. Hey, it's Will Salatan from the Bulwark. So we just had another no Kings protest. It's the third one and millions, millions of people came out. And what I want to show you today is why this is so important. It's because as this is happening, as this movement, this no Kings movement is growing, Donald Trump is acting more and more like a king. It's deadly serious, but it's also kind of cringe. Let me show you. What I'm talking about. Here is Trump at a cabinet meeting three days ago. He's talking about all the gold trim he's put in the White House.

[Donald Trump]

You can't imitate gold. See, I'm a gold person. It's all real stuff. But you can't imitate real gold. It just doesn't. That's 24 karat, which is what this building deserves. But think of it. I get sued because I'm fixing up the Trump Kennedy Center.

[Will Saletan]

The Trump Kennedy Center. He did that. He's not just putting gold all over the White House, which is gross, he's also putting his name, he's all over Washington. In fact, he's trying to put his name on airports. He's basically doing to our capital city what a dog does to a tree. And here's the latest thing. He's putting his picture and his name on our money. So check this out. He appointed a commission. It's called the Commission of fine arts. And two months ago, that commission approved a new $1 coin with Trump's face on it. Here's the official design of how it's going to look. And here's a letter from this Trump appointed commission where they approved that coin. They said they loved, they loved Its, quote, statesmanlike and accurate depiction of the president. And then about a week ago, they approved another coin. This time, it's literally a gold coin. And here's the design they chose for that coin. That is the coin they're going to use to commemorate the 250th anniversary of this country. Donald Trump standing over his desk, looking like a mob boss over the words in God We Trust. And the commission, the commission loves that. Here's what they wrote in the letter where they approved that coin. They literally praised the, quote, forceful appearance of the president. And they said it was, quote, consistent with the preferences of President Donald J. Trump. No kidding. Just to be clear, we don't do that in this country. Putting the face of, of your leader on coins is what monarchies do. It's literally how you treat a king. We actually have a law, 150-year-old law that says, and these are the exact words, only the portrait of a deceased individual may appear on United States currency. The Trump administration is violating that law so they can treat him like a king. And then on Thursday, On Thursday, the Treasury Department announced that they're going to put Trump's signature, his signature on our paper money. Here is the press release. It says, president Donald J. Trump's signature will appear on future US Paper currency. That has never happened in this country. We have never put the signature of a sitting president on our money. And that's just the surface of how bad things are right now. Let me take you back to that Cabinet meeting on Thursday. Here's what happened when Trump asked his envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, about a secret he wanted to reveal. Now, Witkoff is sitting at the far end of the table, so he's a little hard to hear, but listen closely to what he says.

[Donald Trump]

Steve, can I reveal the president? You can do anything you want.

[Will Saletan]

You can do anything you want. That is the world Trump lives in. He's surrounded by toadies who tell him he's basically a king. He can do whatever he wants. So, for example, Trump says ordinary people shouldn't be allowed to use mail in ballots. Here's what he said about that last week.

[Donald Trump]

We're the only country that doesn't that does mail in voting. Mail in voting means mail in cheating. I call it mail in cheating.

[Will Saletan]

Mail in ballots are cheating. Except. Except when Trump wants to use a mail in ballot, which is exactly what he did a couple of weeks ago, he used a mail in ballot to vote in a local election in Florida. And here's how he explained that at the Cabinet meeting.

[Donald Trump]

Tell me about mail in ballots going, I, I, you mean I used the mail in ballot. You probably said, yeah, I did.

[Will Saletan]

Why did.

[Donald Trump]

You know what? Because I'm President of the United States and because of the fact that I'm President of the United States, I did a mail in ballot for elections that took place in Florida because I felt I should be here instead of being in the beautiful sunshine.

[Will Saletan]

So he's claiming that he had to use a mail in ballot because he was out of town. But, but you'll never believe this, but he's lying. His district has early voting in person and he was actually there for of the eight days of early voting. He could have done that. And at the cabinet meeting a reporter called him on it. You were in Palm beach, sir, the last few weekends.

[Donald Trump]

That's right. And I, yeah. And I, I decided that I was going to vote by mail in ballot because I couldn't because they had a lot of different things.

[Will Saletan]

Oh yeah, oh yeah. He had a lot of different things going on. Bullshit. He used a mail in ballot because as he said, I'm President of the United States. And the rules, the rules that he applies to little people don't apply to him. And that's the least of it. Trump thinks because he's the king, he can threaten judges. Listen to what he said on Wednesday at a dinner for Congressional Republicans.

[Donald Trump]

The time has also come for Republicans to pass a tough new crime bill that imposes harsh penalties for dangerous repeat offenders. Cracks down on rogue judges. We got rogue judges that are criminals. They're criminals.

[Will Saletan]

They're criminals. He says a normal president, a normal president has to respect the rulings of courts, but not a king. A king thinks that when judges get in his way, he can call them criminals. In fact, Trump thinks he can attack the Supreme Court. Here's what he said at that dinner about the Supreme Court ruling against him on tariffs.

[Donald Trump]

And the Supreme Court, that's right, of the United States cost our country. But two of the people that voted for that I appointed, and they sicken me. They sicken me because they're bad for our country. We need a tough new crime bill that imposes harsh penalties for dangerous repeat offenders. Cracks down on rogue judges.

[Will Saletan]

He thinks the justices that he appointed have to vote the way he wants. He thinks the justices have to serve the king. And he has the same attitude about the media. Here's what he said two days later on Friday at a conference hosted by a Saudi Arabian foundation, the New York

[Donald Trump]

Times, which is fake. I mean, if you read the New York Times, you would think we're doing badly against Iran. And if you read the Times, you think we're doing poorly. It's so. It's almost treasonous. I have to be honest. It's almost treasonous.

[Will Saletan]

Treasonous. He says news media that don't report things the way he wants are treasonous. Again, that is not the way a president talks. That is the way a king talks. How about war? If a president wants to go to war, he's supposed to ask Congress, but not a king. Listen to what Trump said at that Saudi conference about his war in Iran.

[Donald Trump]

We have a thing called a war, or as they would rather say, a military operation. This is for legal reasons. I say military because as a military operation, I don't need any approvals. As a war, you're supposed to get approval from Congress, something like that. So I call it a military operation.

[Will Saletan]

See, if he calls it a war, he has to act like a president. But he doesn't want to be a president. He wants to be a king. So he. He calls it a military operation, and then he does whatever he wants. How about pulling out of NATO? Okay, under the law, a president has to get approval from Congress to do that, but not a king. Here's what Trump said two weeks ago about that. Are you rethinking the United States relationship with NATO, possibly getting House?

[Donald Trump]

Well, I'm disappointed in NATO and when they don't help us, I mean, it's certainly something that we should think about. I don't need Congress for that decision, as you probably know. I can make that decision myself.

[Will Saletan]

I don't need Congress, he says, I can make that decision myself. Why? Because he's a king. And why does he want to pull out of NATO? Well, at the Cabinet meeting, he explained that he's mad at our NATO allies for not giving him more support in the war in Iran, which might be because he didn't consult them beforehand. But let's set that aside. Here's what he said about the British prime minister, Keir Starmer.

[Donald Trump]

And your prime minister was not there, as you know. He was there after we won. He said, we'd like to send some ships. I said, we already won. We don't need them anymore.

[Will Saletan]

So Trump doesn't like the British prime minister, but. But he loves the king. Watch. I was just going to say, does it affect the state visit with the king that you're going to have in April? Are you looking forward to that?

[Donald Trump]

With the king? No, he's a friend of mine. He's a Great gentleman.

[Will Saletan]

Oh, the king. No, no, no. Trump loves. He loves the king. The king is a great gentleman. In fact, Trump loves all the kings, especially, especially the Saudi king. Trump loves king and the Saudi crown prince so much, he cannot stop talking about their opinion of America.

[Donald Trump]

A man that we just discussed, the king, the future king of Saudi Arabia. And I also love the king of Saudi Arabia. What a man he is. A short time ago, we were together and he looked at me and he said, you know, it's amazing. One year ago, you were a dead country. Now you're the hottest country anywhere in the world. He didn't think this was going to happen.

[Will Saletan]

We were a dead country. That is the President of the United States insulting his own country, our country, us, by quoting his buddy, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Trump doesn't love America. He loves his friends. His friends are rich people. Especially, especially kings. And here's one more king Trump loves. To quote another king who flatters Trump, it's the king of Russia, Vladimir Putin. Technically, technically, not a king, but we all know he is one. Here is Trump at the Saudi conference,

[Donald Trump]

I stopped wars that nobody thought. President Putin called me. He said, I can't believe you stopped this one and this one, which are impossible.

[Will Saletan]

See, our king, the king of America is quoting the king of Saudi Arabia and the king of Russia, telling us how great he is. And this is why we say no kings, because we have a president who thinks he is a king. He puts his face on coins. He puts his name on buildings. He rejects the constitutional separation of powers. He says he doesn't have to follow the laws other people follow. That is a king. And if we don't want to be ruled by a king, we cannot stay home anymore. We have to come out and take down this king and his party every election from now until he's gone. See you next time.

[Bleacher Report Announcer]

The Bleacher Report app is your destination for sports right now. The NBA is heating up. March Madness is here, and MLB is almost back. Every day there's a new headline, a new highlight, a new moment you've got to see for yourself. That's why I stay locked in with the Bleacher Report app. For me, it's about staying connected to my sports. I can follow the teams I care about. Get real time scores, breaking news and highlights all in one place. Download the Bleacher Report app today so you never miss a moment.

[Tyler Redick]

Tyler redick here from 2311 Racing. Another checkered flag for the books. Time to celebrate with Chumba. Jump [e-mail] let's Chumba no purchase necessary.

[Will Saletan]

BTW Group void where prohibited by law.

[Alex Kanchowitz]

CTNC21+ sponsored by Chumba Casino hi, this is Alex Kanchowitz. I'm the host of Big Technology Podcast, a longtime reporter and an on air contributor to cnbc. And if you're like me, you're trying to figure out how artificial intelligence is changing the business world and our lives. So each week on Big Technology, I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it, asking where this is all going. They come from places like Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, and plenty more. So if you want to be smart with your wallet, your career choices, in meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties, listen to Big Technology Podcast. Wherever you get your podcasts.