Do you know someone who joined No Kings protest? What Americans say in new poll

One-third of Americans say they personally know someone who took part in the most recent “No Kings” protests, according to a new YouGov survey.

Most also characterized the events as largely peaceful, and more expressed approval than disapproval of the mass demonstrations.

The protests were held nationwide Oct. 18 to oppose what organizers describe as President Donald Trump’s escalating authoritarian tactics, particularly regarding immigration enforcement and election reform measures.

Trump administration officials and Republican leaders have dismissed the public displays of disapproval, insisting the president is no tyrant and blaming the demonstrations for prolonging the government shutdown.

Who attended?

In the poll — which sampled 2,124 U.S. adults Oct. 20 — respondents were asked if they know someone who participated in the No Kings demonstrations.

Twenty-four percent reported knowing a protest participant, with an additional 9% saying they know someone, including themselves. In contrast, 56% said they are not acquainted with any participants, and 11% said they were not sure.

On this question, a substantial partisan divide emerged. A majority of Democrats, 51%, said they know someone who took part, while 30% of independents and 17% of Republicans said the same.

Organizers estimate that about 7 million people took part in the Oct. 18 protests, which spanned more than 2,700 locations nationwide, including major cities like Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles and New York City. They called it “one of the largest single-day nationwide demonstrations in U.S. history,” eclipsing in size the previous No Kings public gathering in June.

Speeches were made — including by politicians — and many attendees donned costumes or carried signs inscribed with messages like “No kings,” “Resist fascism” and “release Epstein files now.”

Approve or disapprove?

Respondents were also asked whether they approve or disapprove of the latest display of dissent, resulting in divided reactions.

Nearly half said they strongly approve (36%) or somewhat approve (12%) of the demonstrations. Meanwhile, a smaller share said they strongly disapprove (23%) or somewhat disapprove (9%). An additional 21% said they weren’t sure.

The vast majority of Democrats, 82%, said they favored the protests, while 48% of independents and just 14% of Republicans expressed the same sentiment.

This partisan divide was largely reflected in the responses from officials in Washington.

Sen. Bernie Sanders — an independent who caucuses with Democrats — wrote on X, “7 million people came out for the largest demonstration day in our history. Americans are clear. They don’t want authoritarianism, oligarchy or a doubling in their insurance premiums.”

“I proudly marched side-by-side with labor unions and so many more of our fellow citizens in NYC,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X. “We have no dictators in America. And we won’t allow Trump to keep eroding our democracy.”

Top GOP figures, in contrast, expressed opposition to or downplayed the large-scale protests.

In an interview with ABC News, House Speaker Mike Johnson defended demonstrators’ right to express their views, but added, “The irony of the message is pretty clear…if President Trump was a king, the government would be open right now. If President Trump was a king, they would not have been able to engage in that free speech exercise.”

Trump himself, when asked about the No Kings rallies, said, “I’m not a king. I work my a— off to make our country great. That’s all it is. I’m not a king at all.”

The White House also shared an image — seemingly tongue in cheek — depicting Trump and Vice President JD Vance seated on thrones, adorned with crowns.

Were the protests non-violent?

Respondents in the poll — which has a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points — were further asked if they believe the mass demonstrations were peaceful.

A majority, 56%, characterized them as mostly peaceful, while just 7% said they were mostly violent. Thirty-seven percent said they weren’t sure.

Most Democrats and independents — 79% and 54%, respectively — described the demonstrations as non-violent, while a 50% plurality of Republicans said they didn’t know.

Event organizers said the demonstrations were “grounded in non-violence.” Johnson concurred, telling ABC News, “We congratulate them on (an) apparently violent-free free speech exercise.”

Media coverage also indicates the demonstrations were mostly peaceful, with only a few instances of disorder leading to a handful of arrests.

This story was originally published October 20, 2025 at 4:20 PM with the headline "Do you know someone who joined No Kings protest? What Americans say in new poll."