Does Trump want to be king? What a poll found ahead of ‘No Kings’ protests
A slim majority of Americans believe President Donald Trump aspires to be king, viewing him as someone who favors a crown over the Constitution he pledged to defend, according to a new YouGov poll.
At the same time, an overwhelming majority agree that Trump should not become a monarch, even as most express frustration with how democracy is functioning in the U.S. today.
The survey comes ahead of the nationwide “No Kings” protests set for Oct. 18, with demonstrations planned at approximately 2,500 locations, including major cities such as Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; and New York City.
The scheduled mass demonstration — the organization’s second so far this year — is designed to push back against what organizers describe as Trump’s increasingly authoritarian measures.
“His administration is sending masked agents into our streets, terrorizing our communities,” the No Kings website states. “They are targeting immigrant families, profiling, arresting and detaining people without warrants. Threatening to overtake elections. Gutting healthcare, environmental protections, and education when families need them most. Rigging maps to silence voters.”
Meanwhile, Republican leaders have condemned the protests as “Hate America” events, which they blame for extending the government shutdown.
Trump himself, when asked to weigh in on the planned assemblies, told Fox News, “They’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king.”
Kings and democracy
In the survey — conducted Oct. 17 with 9,959 U.S. adults — respondents were asked if they think Trump wants to be king of the United States.
A narrow majority, 52%, said yes, while 36% said no and an additional 12% said they were not sure.
On this question, a massive partisan divide emerged. Most Democrats and independents — 84% and 55%, respectively — said Trump seeks to become king, while 71% of Republicans said he does not.
Respondents were also asked: Should the 47th president be crowned king?
The overwhelming majority, 85%, said no, while just 7% said yes. And 8% said they were not sure, according to the poll, which has a margin of error of 1.2 percentage points.
Here, a consensus was reached across the political spectrum. Most Democrats (94%), independents (86%) and Republicans (75%) said Trump should not be made a monarch.
Just 3% of Democrats and 4% of independents said the Republican president should be king, while 16% of GOP respondents said the same.
Lastly, poll respondents were asked: “Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way democracy is working in the United States today?”
Fifty-seven percent said they are completely dissatisfied (35%) or somewhat dissatisfied (22%). In contrast, 31% said they are completely satisfied (10%) or somewhat satisfied (21%).
A majority of Republicans, 57%, expressed satisfaction with American democracy, while most Democrats and independents — 78% and 61% — telegraphed dissatisfaction.
This story was originally published October 17, 2025 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Does Trump want to be king? What a poll found ahead of ‘No Kings’ protests."