NO KINGS II
TRUMP - THE KING WHO CRIED "FREE SPEECH"
Ah, the First Amendment Рthat noble parchment shield, etched in quill and revolutionary fervor, promising us freedom of speech, religion, the press, the right to petition our government like pesky telemarketers who won't take no for an answer, and the liberty to assemble peaceably without fear of turning into a human pi̱ata for federal agents. It's the constitutional equivalent of a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door of democracy, ensuring we can yell "fire" in a crowded theater (metaphorically, of course, unless you're a MAGA rally organizer with a flair for pyrotechnics). George Washington, that cherry-tree-chopping father of our nation, once warned: "If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter." Wise words from a man who knew a thing or two about British overreach Рand who, let's be honest, would probably side-eye today's executive orders with the same squint he gave Cornwallis at Yorktown.
Enter Donald J. Trump, the self-proclaimed First Amendment champion, who stormed back into the White House in 2025 waving a banner of "restored free speech" like a used car salesman hawking a lemon with a fresh wax job. Remember his inaugural address? "I've brought free speech back to America!" he bellowed, as if he'd personally resurrected the Bill of Rights from a dusty attic. Campaign trail lore painted him as the knight errant against "woke" censors, vowing to smash the "censorship cartel" and unleash a golden age of unfiltered rants. But nine months in, folks, it's starting to look less like a restoration and more like a hostile takeover. Trump's biggest lie isn't about crowd sizes or sharpie-altered hurricanes; it's the whopper that he'd be the amendment's biggest booster. In reality, the only speech that's truly free under his reign is his own – and that of his merry band of minions, who tweet with the impunity of medieval jesters hopped up on Red Bull.
Picture this: A president who sues the press faster than he golfs a bogey, threatens individuals for the high crime of disagreement, and treats the Constitution like a choose-your-own-adventure book where he always picks the page that says "And then the king wins." Since January 2025, Trump's administration has unleashed a barrage of executive orders, lawsuits, and petty vendettas that make Richard Nixon's enemies list look like a polite grocery queue. Not since Joe McCarthy's red-scare witch hunts has the government so gleefully swung a sledgehammer at free expression – and even Tricky Dick's plumbers were amateurs compared to this plumbing of democracy's pipes. Trump's not just nibbling at the edges; he's devouring the First Amendment whole, one freedom at a time, while accusing everyone else of "weaponizing" the government. Pot, meet kettle – or in this case, gold-plated Mar-a-Lago urinal.
Let's dissect this royal rumble, shall we? The First Amendment's five pillars – speech, religion, press, petition, and assembly – are crumbling faster than a Jenga tower at a toddler's birthday party. And it's not hyperbole; it's happening in real time, with court dockets filling up like Mar-a-Lago on a tax-evasion holiday.
Start with **freedom of speech**, the amendment's MVP, the right to say what you want without Big Brother slapping a gag order. Trump campaigned as its messiah, but his second term reads like a dystopian fanfic. Almost daily, he blasts "enemies of the people" on Truth Social, threatening journalists, professors, and anyone with the audacity to call out his fibs. Take the case of Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University grad and pro-Palestinian activist snagged by ICE in March 2025 for daring to lead peaceful protests. Arrested despite legal residency, he's facing deportation for the sin of speech – a move a district court slapped down as unconstitutional, but not before chilling campuses nationwide. Or consider the executive order targeting pro-Palestinian students, directing federal agencies to hunt them for "civil and criminal actions" – a blatant First Amendment gut-punch that has linguists, lawyers, and refugees like me shaking our heads in disbelief. Trump's minions even circulated lists of "banned words" for government reports – no "climate change," no "diversity," nothing that doesn't fit the narrative – turning federal communications into a bad game of Mad Libs. And don't get me started on the flag-burning fiasco: In August 2025, he signed an order to prosecute desecrators "to the fullest extent," conceding Supreme Court protections but twisting arms for "hate crimes" loopholes. Because nothing says "free speech" like jailing protesters for symbolic bonfires. Common refrain from MAGA mouths: "Nobody can say anything anymore without getting canceled!" Yet they rebrand January 6 – a riot that killed a cop – as "peaceful," while Democrats are "communist conspirators." Hypocrisy? It's the house wine at Trump rallies.
Then there's **freedom of the press**, once the "fourth estate," now more like the estate sale of democracy's garage. Trump's war on media is legendary, but 2025 cranked it to eleven. He filed a $10 billion defamation suit against *The Wall Street Journal* in February, claiming an article bruised his ego – a classic SLAPP suit to bully scribes into silence. The Associated Press? Banned from the White House pool for refusing to call the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America" – a judge ruled it a First Amendment violation in April, but the appeal drags on like a bad sequel. Public broadcasting took a $1.1 billion gutting via executive order in May, with Trump accusing NPR and PBS of "biased reporting" – because god forbid rural folks get news without a Fox filter. The FCC, under Trump crony Brendan Carr, reopened "investigations" into ABC, CBS, and NBC for their 2024 election coverage, dismissing prior dismissals as "weaponized" – irony so thick you could spread it on toast. And Voice of America? Dismantled and restricted, with judges blocking the moves as press suppression. Trump's settled suits with ABC and Meta for millions, forcing outlets like the *Washington Post* to yank endorsements pre-emptively. It's not journalism; it's a protection racket with bylines.
**Freedom of religion**? Trump's rhetoric paints him as a godly warrior, but actions scream selective piety. He rescinded protections for "sensitive places" like mosques and synagogues, using anti-religious barbs to justify immigrant crackdowns – because nothing says "religious liberty" like deporting the faithful. His administration's policy shifts let ICE raid based on "common sense," chilling Quaker congregations' expressive association – a court teed up a First Amendment smackdown. And the Arizona ruling shielding churches from child abuse reporting? It greenlit silence over safety, impacting hundreds of cases – all under the banner of "faith."
The **right to petition** fares no better. Trump's fired FOIA processors, dodged records via Signal chats, and sanctioned law firms like WilmerHale and Perkins Coie with contract blacklists and clearance yanks for representing his foes. Executive orders bar them from federal buildings – a judge called it "retaliatory animus" in March, but firms are folding like cheap suits, chilling legal advocacy. He even called for impeaching judges who rule against him. Petitioning? More like pleading the Fifth – or the 25th.
Finally, **peaceable assembly** – the right to gather without gas masks or Guard troops. Trump's frozen USAID funds for global free-speech programs, purged datasets banning "woke" terms, and threatened college funding cuts for protest-friendly campuses. Visa revocations for foreign students at Harvard and Columbia? Check – creating a "climate of fear" on elite quads. Deployed military to L.A. protests in June, violating Posse Comitatus and turning streets into war zones. The ACLU's suing left and right, from NPR v. Trump to challenges on military overreach. Trump's admiration for Viktor Orbán's media-judiciary stranglehold? It's not flattery; it's a blueprint.
Our democracy's not just at risk; it's in the ICU, with the Supreme Court playing reluctant nurse under the "unitary executive theory" – a nowhere-in-the-Constitution fever dream rubber-stamping Trump's power grabs. Even Harvard sued in April, claiming viewpoint quotas violate free speech. Trump's expanding surveillance, suppressing dissent, and targeting opponents with "retribution" – his word, not mine. McCarthy who? Nixon lite? This is authoritarianism with a spray tan.
But here's the plot twist: We the People aren't sheep. Enter the "No Kings" movement, that grassroots thunderclap organized by Indivisible, 50501, ACLU, MoveOn, and a coalition of unions and watchdogs too feisty to fold. Their first rally in June 2025 drew 5 million – drowning Trump's military birthday parade in a sea of chants and signs. Now, on October 18 – "No Kings 2" – they're mobilizing nationwide, from Perham, Minnesota, to Miami's Torch of Friendship, with trainings on safety, de-escalation, and "know your rights." Purpose? Slam the door on Trump's "dictator" flirtations, ICE terror, troop threats, and gerrymandering schemes. Nonviolent, community-led – no weapons, just wallets and wills. As Indivisible's Ezra Levin puts it: "When Mad King George occupied cities in 1775, Americans said No Kings. When Mad King Trump does it in 2025, we say it again." Kickoff calls are buzzing; printable signs are ready. Join at nokings.org – because one protest isn't enough when the throne's still wobbling.
In the end, Trump's First Amendment fiasco isn't just a lie; it's a litmus test. Will we let a man who admires strongmen shred the very freedoms he swore to uphold? Or will we channel Washington's warning, rise like the "No Kings" tide, and remind him: America has no crowns, only constitutions. Sheep to the slaughter? Nah – we're the wolves at the door, howling for liberty. October 18, anyone?
No Kings https://www.nokings.org/
Indivisible https://indivisible.org/
