Bulwark Takes: LIVE—“No Kings” Was a Success. What Comes Next?

Host: Bill Kristol
Guest: Sarah Longwell
Date: October 19, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Bulwark Takes is a reflective debrief on the nationwide “No Kings” mobilizations, events organized to demonstrate grassroots resistance to Donald Trump’s leadership style and the corresponding threat to democracy. Bill Kristol and Sarah Longwell dig into their respective experiences at different rallies, discuss the political and cultural significance of the events, the broader implications for anti-Trump movements, and what mass mobilization like this might mean for the future.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Accounts from the Ground

(03:40 – 07:35)

• Sarah's Experience:

  • Opted for a suburban “No Kings” event so her children could participate.
  • Notable for its peaceful, older crowd, family-friendly atmosphere, and heavy presence of American flags.
  • Contrasted the reality (“a bunch of peaceful Americans”) with pre-event right-wing portrayals (“these were going to be radical leftists, terrorists”).
  • Noted the event’s diversity and observed, “These are the people who vote, guys. These are your reliable, consistent voters.” (03:22 — Sarah Longwell)

• Bill’s Experience:

  • Attended a Northern Virginia event—no speeches, very participatory.
  • Emphasized the communal and joyous spirit, a sharp contrast to angrier historic protests.
  • Noted the rapid increase in sign-ups after right-wing attacks on the rally and described participants as “sober but good-natured.”
  • “There’s a real sense of urgency, really, and sobriety as well as good naturedness.” (06:56 — Bill Kristol)

2. Peacefulness and Community Spirit

(07:35 – 14:47)

• Both agree the rallies felt more like civically minded block parties than confrontational protests.
• High level of safety; family- and child-friendly.
• Notably, attempts at provocation by MAGA-inclined counter-protesters went ignored.
• “It felt as close to a neighborhood block party as I could imagine… I did feel totally safe.” (13:31 — Sarah Longwell)
• Emphasis on marshals keeping everything peaceful: “I give the organizers a huge amount of credit for not just organizing both protests…but keeping them insisting on the message being peacefulness and pro American and really some wonderful signs.” (12:28 — Bill Kristol)

3. Media & Political Narrative Battles

(15:54 – 18:54)

• Both criticize the dismissive tendencies—claims on social media that the crowd was “all old and white”—calling it an effort to minimize the event’s impact and diversity.
• “The attempt to dismiss what this was…shows that they are afraid that people have figured something out. And I would say it is the fact that [rallygoers] take no bait from the MAGA types, give them no excuses, do not buy into any of the pretexts. You use humor.” (16:28 — Sarah Longwell)

4. The “No Kings” Slogan: Communication and Resonance

(18:54 – 21:01)

• Discussed critiques that “No Kings” is a misnomer (“Trump was elected, he’s not literally a king”).
• Bill argues the slogan’s historical resonance is its strength, evoking the American revolution and Declaration of Independence:
  • “Something…off center, non-obvious, a little eccentric as a slogan is often better. It gets people to ask a question.” (19:28 — Bill Kristol)
  • Also mentions the powerful imagery from the rallies: staged readings of the Declaration, “pictures of the Constitution, the Declaration,” and playful yet pointed signs.

5. Building a Mass Mobilization Infrastructure

(21:01 – 27:28)

• Sarah sees the “No Kings” rallies as crucial steps in building an ongoing infrastructure for collective action:

  • “Each time they are building a bigger group of people who are willing to be mass mobilized…That is an enormously impactful thing to do and has a real opportunity going forward to be meaningful.” (22:34 — Sarah Longwell)
  • Advocates for the movement to expand to address kitchen-table and economic concerns in future rallies, not just constitutional ones.

• Importance of scale and local presence:

  • Bill posits that the decentralized, widespread nature helps reach new audiences and break out of “social media bubbles.”
  • “People are going to know people who went to one of these rallies.” (25:20 — Bill Kristol)

6. The Value of Community and Participation

(27:28 – 33:29)

• Sarah pushes back against cynicism that it's “just preaching to the choir”:
  • “Anytime you get 7 million people to do anything, it matters. And it matters when that 7 million people can next time turn into 10 million people…It's about the ability to create an umbrella where people are localizing the conversation here.” (27:38 — Sarah Longwell)
• Both agree building community is a lesson learned from Trump’s political movement: “His rallies are like red solo cup. They have red solo cup energy, right?” (29:14 — Sarah Longwell)

7. Elites vs. The Public

(30:15 – 33:29)

• Both express frustration about professional-class resignation to Trumpism:
  • Bill: “The public is doing okay…But the elites is where the massive capitulation is. And, and we've gone from…capitulation in some cases to collaboration” (31:49 — Bill Kristol)
• Sarah denounces those who “jump on board” with Trump for self-dealing:
  • “It reminds people that there is life after Trump. There is going to be more elections, there is going to be a future in this country.” (34:06 — Sarah Longwell)

8. Hope, Accountability, and “What’s Next?”

(33:29 – end)

• Both see the events as seeds for a sustained movement and possible reckoning for elite enablers.
• The rallies act as a signal that Trump’s dominance isn’t permanent and that collective civic participation can build real change.
• “I think there's a real chance this won't just be a footnote to history.” (35:44 — Bill Kristol)
• Sarah: “Look forward guys. It will make you feel better.” (36:48 — Sarah Longwell)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• [03:22] Sarah Longwell: “These are the people who vote, guys. These are your reliable, consistent voters.”
• [06:56] Bill Kristol: “There’s a real sense of urgency, really, and sobriety as well as good naturedness of the people.”
• [12:28] Bill Kristol: “I give the organizers a huge amount of credit…keeping them insisting on the message being peacefulness and pro American and really some wonderful signs.”
• [16:28] Sarah Longwell: “The attempt to dismiss what this was…shows that they are afraid that people have figured something out.”
• [19:28] Bill Kristol: “Something…off center, non-obvious, a little eccentric as a slogan is often better. It gets people to ask a question.”
• [22:34] Sarah Longwell: “They are starting a mass mobilization effort, and each time they are building a bigger group of people who are willing to be mass mobilized in the face of what Donald Trump is doing.”
• [27:38] Sarah Longwell: “Anytime you get 7 million people to do anything, it matters. And it matters when that 7 million people can next time turn into 10 million people.”
• [29:14] Sarah Longwell: “His [Trump’s] rallies are like red solo cup. They have red solo cup energy, right? We’re all here hanging out together.”
• [31:49] Bill Kristol: “But the elites is where the massive capitulation is. And…we’ve gone from…I kind of feel like from capitulation in some cases to collaboration…”
• [34:06] Sarah Longwell: “It reminds people that there is life after Trump. There is going to be more elections, there is going to be a future in this country.”
• [35:44] Bill Kristol: “I think there's a real chance this won't just be a footnote to history.”
• [36:48] Sarah Longwell: “Look forward guys. It will make you feel better.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Personal Experiences at Rallies: 03:40 – 07:35
• Atmosphere & Safety: 07:35 – 14:47
• Discourse & Right-Wing Critique: 15:54 – 18:54
• Framing & Messaging (“No Kings”): 18:54 – 21:01
• Movement Infrastructure & Mobilization: 21:01 – 27:28
• Community, Participation, and Breaking Out of Bubbles: 27:28 – 33:29
• Elites, Accountability & Hope: 33:29 – end

Takeaways

• The “No Kings” events were deeply peaceful, patriotic, and community-oriented, confounding right-wing predictions and critiques.
• Grassroots, recurring, and widely dispersed civic mobilization is building infrastructure for future political engagement, not just providing “preaching to the choir.”
• The movement’s embrace of humor, history, and resilient messaging counteracts attempts to trivialize or demonize it.
• There’s an urgent call for not just mobilizing voters, but for elites to resist complicity.
• The rallies highlight continued public opposition to authoritarian trends and signal hope for a more pluralistic political future.