Watch now   Major Afternoon Update on No Kings Protests The day America said “No Kings” MeidasTouch Network and Ben Meiselas Oct 18 When I began reporting on the No Kings protests, I knew they would be historic. What I didn’t expect was just how terrified the Trump regime would be of peaceful Americans exercising their constitutional right to dissent. Across the country, from Washington, D.C. to Times Square, to Charlotte and beyond (even internationally), hundreds of thousands have already filled the streets, united in one simple declaration: we reject tyranny. In Washington, D.C., the crowds stretched for blocks around the White House. In New York’s Times Square, the chant echoed through the canyons of Midtown: “Trump must go now!” Across North Carolina, protesters marched through Uptown Charlotte after speeches from faith leaders, veterans, and parents, all united against the authoritarian drift that has consumed this nation. While citizens gathered peacefully, the Trump White House did something unprecedented and dangerous. As MeidasTouch first reported earlier this week, and later confirmed by the governor’s office, the administration ordered live munitions fired over civilian highways in California. The California Highway Patrol was forced to close a seventeen-mile stretch of Interstate-5 near Camp Pendleton as U.S. military howitzers are set to launch explosive shells over the roadway. Our sources had warned that Trump planned to use the military display to intimidate protesters and to cloak it in a fabricated “Marine Corps anniversary” celebration. When we reported it, the regime’s defenders, some media outlets, and even some of our own followers accused us of “rage-baiting.” But the facts are clear. Governor Gavin Newsom’s office confirmed that “live artillery will be fired over major roadways in Southern California,” calling it “reckless,” “disrespectful,” and “beneath the office he holds.” I wish this were rage-bait. I wish it weren’t true that a sitting president would direct live munitions over American citizens to project strength. But we’ve been warning about this trajectory for years — when Trump said he would send the military into American cities, when he promised “mass deportations,” when he vowed to dismantle the government through Project 2025. This is fascism. And this is what we’re rallying against today. Predictably, the same legacy media outlets that once amplified Trump’s lies rushed to downplay the danger. Snopes questioned our reporting, writing that the White House denied the live-fire plan. But as I said on-air: “They lie about everything. They lie about every single thing.” Their denial was just one more in a long list of falsehoods from a regime that has built its power on deceit. Meanwhile, Trump’s team spent the morning sending out emails begging for money under subject lines like “This isn’t like you, Ben.” But this moment is bigger than Trump’s corruption. It’s about the spirit of a people refusing to surrender democracy to chaos and cruelty. As Governor Newsom said, “‘No Kings’ is a declaration of independence against tyranny… people are waking up to the rule of law increasingly appearing to be the rule of Don.” That awakening is visible in every city where Americans are marching today. They are standing shoulder to shoulder, not as partisans but as citizens reclaiming their power. Trump can fire missiles, peddle lies, or try to silence dissent, but he cannot stop the truth. And the truth is this: the people of the United States are done kneeling before a would-be king. This is the day he feared most. This is the day America stood up and said, once again, no kings. Watch my report on the latest news above. Like and share this post. And tune into our live coverage of the No Kings rallies here. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.