George Soros Didn't Pay for No Kings Day, We the People Did
Americans will invest their own time and money in fighting for democracy
“I looked at the people — they’re not representative of this country. And I looked at all the brand new signs… I guess it was paid for by [George] Soros and other radical left lunatics. It looks like it was. We’re checking it out,” Trump said of the October 18, 2025 No Kings Day national protest he tried to dismiss as “a joke.”1
As they say, every accusation is a confession. Of course the man who paid a porn actress hush money and whose 2015 campaign paid actors to cheer for him thinks voices can be bought and sold, that no one could authentically support a cause on their own.
Seven million people did. Of course we are willing to pay for our own signs or make them ourselves. We want to exercise our right to free speech. We’re using it to speak up and speak out for our democracy.
Some signs are elaborately creative. Others are straightforward and to the point. Some make you laugh, others make you weep. The people dancing in inflatable animals made everyone smile.
We walked, rode, and danced together: our right to free assembly and free speech.
There was no mass distribution of billionaire-funded signage. The record-breaking nationwide event featured more than 2,700 demonstrations in all 50 states, and U.S. territories. Other countries joined us in international solidarity marches around the world. Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Japan, Malawi, South Africa, and a dozen European countries walked with us. It was a thing of global beauty and unity. Many of them adopted our peaceful utilization of whimsical inflatable animal and cartoon character costumes to disprove the MAGA propaganda that “liberal” cities are violent hell-holes radicalized by left-wing insurrectionists.
But for a man who only understands transactions, whose sole loyalties come from shared and nefarious greeds and hatreds, it’s no surprise he thinks support can only be bought, and that no one would invest their own time and money to stand up for others too.
Even the man who installed his own gift shop in the Oval Office full of vanity MAGA merch claims a billionaire must have paid for seven million protest signs. Never mind that his own followers buy plenty of MAGA hats, bumper stickers, attire, and Trump-signed Bibles. Narcissists can’t comprehend that people would make sacrifices for strangers, let alone people we disagree with. But we are marching for everyone’s rights. Everyone, even our political opponents are entitled to free speech, due process, and rule of law.
And so we start by making signs.
Our Money
While Trump is courting billionaires and millionaires from Microsoft, Google, Palantir, and Blackstone to spend their money on his $200 million vanity ballroom2, I spent around $15 at Michael’s for some poster board, one dowel, and some $3 t-shirts to be silkscreened at a local free printing event. I spent $4 on a six-pack of bubbles at the locally owned community champion Bi-Mart. That’s less than 20 bucks to demonstrate with positivity and some whimsy at our latest No Kings demonstration.
Maria Cassano wrote about a Methodist church in Republican stronghold Long Island providing free signs that read “Embrace Kindness”, “Reject Fear”, “Love Our Neighbors”, “Welcome Immigrants”, and “Celebrate Diversity.”
I guess they didn’t get the “radical lunatic Left memo” that Soros was apparently paying for and distributing high-quality protest signs either. Protect Pastor Cathy at all costs.
After the peaceful and beautiful demonstration in my small city, we got tamales and fresh juice at an immigrant family-owned snack shop.
We don’t need billionaires to subsidize our markers or our costumes, our signs or our t-shirts. Millions of us are happy to write on our cardboard signs by hand or design something more professional. Peace-loving patriots don’t need to embellish everything with gold or squander other people’s money to placate our fragile egos.
Our Time
Prior to the event, more than 15,000 people took “Know Your Rights” trainings from the ACLU based on our constitutional rights and civil law. “These rights include the right to assemble and protest under the first amendment.”3 People also took time to attend nonviolence and deescalation trainings prior to the demonstration.
We are joining local Indivisible groups to effectively “turn outrage into action.” We are attending local 50501 events.
We read countless articles and stories to stay informed. We explore research about successful peaceful resistance by experts like Harvard Professor Erica Chenoweth. We read books by experts like Timothy Snyder and Hannah Arendt about how to prevent authoritarianism from destroying democracy.
And those who could, seven million of us, saw all of our preparation and research culminate in another national day devoted to making democracy great for everyone.
The freedom and equality of our friends and neighbors are worth our time. We will keep investing.
Our Democracy
“This event marks the third major mass mobilization since Trump’s return to the White House and represents a significant show of organized, international opposition to the administration’s direction,” Newsweek magazine reported.
We care about our country, everyone in it, and how our government operates around the world. Of course we’re willing to spend our own time and money to protect what’s best in our country and to fight for everything that needs to change. We know it’s an investment in a better future, a shared future. And we’re willing to do something as simple and inexpensive as making signs.
Signs can be duct-taped to a broken broom handle. They can be handwritten on reused cardboard. We’re trying to protect our environment, right? Reduce. Reuse. Upcycle!
Our impact comes from our collective magnitude, not the singular creativity or slick professionalism of any one particular sign.
Next time, we’re having a sign-making party. Don’t forget to bring snacks to yours.
And we will not be distracted. Release the full and un-redacted Epstein files.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5563105-trump-no-kings-protests/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CI%20think%20it’s%20a%20joke,News’s%20%E2%80%9CSunday%20Morning%20Futures.%E2%80%9D&text=Copyright%202025%20Nexstar%20Media%20Inc,your%20opinion%20of%20President%20Trump?&text=Do%20you%20support%20or%20oppose,image%20and%20likeness%20(NIL)?
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5563779-white-house-east-wing-demolition/
https://www.newsweek.com/no-kings-protesters-preparations-mass-rallies-10887494
Hey, great read as always. It’s so frustrating how this 'paid by Soros' narrative still has traction despite overwhelming evidence of true grassroots effort. How do you think we can better counter this kind of blatant disinformtion? Your analysis is always spot on.