Bulwark Takes — Episode Summary

Podcast: Bulwark Takes
Episode: Massive "No Kings" Protests Happening Across America
Date: October 18, 2025
Host & Panel: Sam Stein, JVL, Andrew Egger, Will Salatin, Bill Kristol, Joe Peron, Mona (various Bulwark contributors)

Episode Overview

This episode of Bulwark Takes covers the unprecedented "No Kings" protests breaking out in real time across all 50 states. With tens of thousands mobilized in cities and small towns alike, the panel provides live updates, on-the-ground reporting, and in-depth context on why this moment matters for American democracy. The team analyzes the political climate underpinning these protests against the backdrop of an ongoing federal government shutdown and what they view as escalating authoritarian maneuvers by the Trump administration during his second term.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Scope and Scale of Protests

• Over 2,700 protest events in all 50 states with turnouts in millions—potentially double the first "No Kings" demonstration in June.
• Events notable for their reach: happening not just in big cities but in small towns, rural counties, and even internationally.
• Noted by Bill Kristol, “This event here in McLean was more than five times… the event in June… People think New York could be up into the, you know, high hundreds of thousands or a million.” [18:34]

2. Backdrop: Authoritarian Turn of the Trump Administration

• JVL describes three paths Trump’s second term could have taken—and argues the nation is facing the worst-case scenario.
  • Rise of masked national secret police, legal racial profiling, elimination of checks on executive power, and military purges.
  • Hostile takeover of media and tech by Trump allies.
• “We have a masked national secret police... the Supreme Court has blessed just racially profiling people... people are now carrying documents with them because they are being asked to show their papers.” —JVL [01:57]

3. Motivations for Protesting

• Panel rebuts claims (from Brit Hume and other conservatives) that the protests are undemocratic or ‘hate America’ rallies.
• Key distinction: Protest is not about Trump's election but about his governing style and rejection of constitutional limits.
  • “Once you win an election and... you can do whatever you want. That is democracy, but it is not constitutionalism.” —Andrew Egger [06:10]
• Many participants displayed overt patriotism; flags, constitutions, veterans' paraphernalia were everywhere.
  • “It's hard to get your mind around just how sort of star spangled… deliberately laying claim to America as a concept.” —Will Salatin [09:48]

4. Republican Framing & Criminalization of Dissent

• Discussion about Republican attempts to frame protests as “Antifa” or “terrorist” events.
  • Changes since executive orders label Antifa as domestic terrorists, raising the stakes for labeling dissent.
  • “Saying it is Antifa is a different thing today... the President... declaring that Antifa is a domestic terrorist organization.” —JVL [11:16]
• Concerns raised about using isolated incidents as a pretext for wider crackdowns.

5. On-the-Ground Atmosphere

• Reports from Franconia, Alexandria, McLean (VA), DC, and Denville (NJ) all point to upbeat, patriotic energy.
  • Protests feel more like “parties or picnics” than partisan rallies; focus on the Constitution and foundational American values.
  • Homemade signs, costumes, references to founding fathers and US history. “You have a very serious political movement on your hands when people are dressed up like the founding fathers… I saw a bunch of people in pantaloons and tricorn hats.” —Joe Peron [54:01]
• Concerns about federal employees fearful of attending due to surveillance or employment consequences.

6. Breadth of Participation / Inclusivity

• Massive geographic reach—confirmed protests in small places like Ripley County (IN), Lee Summit (MO), Bismarck (ND), Denville (NJ), and international solidarity events.
• Not a purely left-wing turnout; includes independents, moderate/never-Trump Republicans.
• “This is devoid of all politics except for democracy… There is nothing in here about tariffs… It’s pure. This is democracy.” —JVL [22:25]

7. Contrast with Previous Mass Movements

• Noted similarities to Women’s March and anti-Trump protests, but panel argues No Kings is broader and more strategically disciplined (e.g., de-escalation training, careful avoidance of provocations, patriotic imagery).
• The protest is less about kitchen table issues, more about systemic threats to democracy.
  • “I don’t think you could get a mass protest movement like this based around kitchen table issues.” —JVL [24:38]

8. Future of the Movement

• Skepticism that politicians have yet risen to lead or channel this energy ("no one has taken the reins yet").
• Suggestions that future mass mobilizations and potentially even general strikes could escalate resistance if current trends continue.
  • “Putting 2 million people in the nation's [or business] capital... is a statement that we could do a general strike if we wanted to.” —JVL [28:39]

9. Public Psychology & Need for Outlet

• Protests serve as psychic release and affirmation for those distressed by the state of democracy.
  • “It is very… psychically healthy that people got a chance to make a feel like they're doing something to express that terrible grief and fear about the direction of the country.” —Mona [42:58]
  • Positive camaraderie and humor evident throughout: costumes, creative signs, playful antagonism toward fears of ‘Antifa presence.’

10. Intensity and Commitment

• JVL notes, “Intensity is measured in part by how much time people are willing to invest... all these homemade signs, costumes, time given up on a Saturday.”
  • "I’m pretty impressed by what this turnout here says about the activation level. It’s pretty interesting and hopeful. God help me." —JVL [62:30]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you took just a list of bullet points of where we are right now and showed them to somebody on November 6, the day after Trump's election, most people… would have said that that is a worst case scenario… But that is where we are.” —JVL [02:18]
• “The mood was… inspiring... the assault, the attack, [that] antifa, they hate America, terrorist attack in the last week motivated a lot of people to come…” —Bill Kristol [16:54]
• “The position of the Republicans is if you object to the Trump administration’s authoritarian tactics, you hate America. They’re equating Trump with America. Now, that is a monarchic mentality.” —Will Salatin [14:35]
• “You don't have to come up with some fancy seminar language about what that is. It is a seizure of power that is only stopped by other people standing in his way.” —Andrew Egger [32:31]
• “The institutions, the referees don’t exist any longer. The guardrails are gone... the people need to understand that they are the umpires.” —Sam Stein paraphrasing Tim Snyder [30:36]
• “Size really is its own argument in terms of something like this. There is not a left-wing benefactor in the world rich enough to pay however many million people… to come out and do this protest today.” —Andrew Egger (on the ground) [60:39]
• “Sometimes leaders... torque a society in the direction they want and other times the leader sees where the people are and says... I need to get at the head of this parade.” —Mona [58:46]

Important Timestamps

• [01:57] JVL’s rundown of the administration’s authoritarian developments.
• [06:10] Andrew Egger on the difference between democracy and constitutionalism.
• [09:44] Will Salatin's on-the-ground observations of overt patriotism.
• [11:16] JVL on why Republicans now label dissent as Antifa.
• [16:54] Bill Kristol’s report from McLean, Virginia’s rally.
• [22:25] JVL on the focus being democracy above all.
• [28:39] Discussion of possible general strike as escalation.
• [42:58] Mona on the psychological importance of collective action.
• [54:01] Joe Peron: “...people dressed up like the founding Fathers… pantaloons and tricorn hats.”
• [62:30] JVL reflects on volunteers’ commitment as a measure of hope.

Tone & Style

The panel maintains the original conversational, witty, and at times sobering tone typical of Bulwark discussions. They combine on-the-ground authenticity with seasoned political analysis and an undercurrent of cautious optimism, frequently acknowledging both the gravity of the moment and the emotional uplift of mass participation.

Summary Conclusion

This episode captures a major moment in contemporary American protest culture, documenting not only the size and spirit of the "No Kings" mobilization but also the underlying anxieties about democracy under threat. The Bulwark team brings together sharp analysis, real-time reporting, and genuine engagement with the psychological stakes of activism in an era when institutional guardrails feel eroded—and ordinary citizens are increasingly called upon to fill the vacuum.