Before the latest No Kings Day protests some giddy optimists were predicting as many as 13 million Americans would take to the streets to protest Donald Trump's policies. That didn't happen, although current estimates are over eight million souls took to the streets from sea to shining sea. Of course, all estimates, rather like all historical events are in the eye of beholder, not to mention the promoter.
For instance, there was Sean Spicer's declaration that the crowd at Trump's first inauguration was the largest in the history of presidential inaugurations. He said that even though everyone with a brain and eyes could see it wasn't. In fact, Spicer's claim was such obvious bullshit it caused another Presidential advisor, Kellyanne Conway to invent the term, "alternative facts," to explain it.
One needs to look no further than at the No Kings Day III demonstration in Oklahoma City to see how wildly, "estimates," can vary. The daily newspaper, The Oklahoman, reported the crowd to be in the, "hundreds." KGOU, an NPR outlet, said it was in the, "thousands." The Oklahoma City Free Press quoted organizers when it said 8,000 people showed up in downtown. At the same time, the outlet, Oklahoma Voice reported that the crowd was, "over 1,000."
While the exact sizes of various No Kings crowds might be debatable, no one will argue the participants weren't unified in their desire to oppose Donald Trump and the crude toadies he has hired to praise and abet him. On the other hand, this weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) seemed at times a tad rocky and let's say confusing.
This year's get together was held in Grapevine, TX which is a smallish town nearly lost in a vast concrete tangle of freeways and toll roads north of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The conference, which is part pep rally, part candidate platform, and part overpriced MAGA souvenir extravaganza had its first awkward moment early on. Organizer, Matt Schlapp stood before the crowd and asked them if they wanted the President to face impeachment hearings. They responded with cheers.
Oops.
Schlapp, assuming he had been misunderstood, asked the question again. Although the response was weaker, to his horror, there were still cheers. It was a moment so stunning it moved him to briefly lecture attendees on how wrong they were. Later when he implored them to boo Joe Biden's name, he was met with what is being described as an uneasy silence.
And some of us actually thought Trump was too busy playing golf to show up. It now looks like the dirty old man realized too many people were onto his grift and didn't want to face his marks.
Yes, cracks in the MAGA wall are beginning to show. The war in Iran is a stress point. It appears a lot of people who actually believed in that isolationist, America First stuff now thinks Trump betrayed them. After all he told them he'd fix the economy and not get us involved in any prolonged wars. He hasn't done either. They know now Donald Trump flat out lied to them and more than one said they could no longer support him.
The feeling runs deep enough, conservative activist, Brandon Straka spoke to the gathering about the dangers of, "leader worship." According to Straka, "patriotism should not mean unquestioning praise for the President." He also condemned MAGA types for trying to impose "ideological purity tests," on republican candidates. Such heresy was unimageable at CPAC even a year ago.
While democrats might celebrate what happed nationwide and in Grapevine this past weekend, they should not count on any mass defections out of the GOP. That isn't going to happen. Let's face the truth, the only people CPAC attendees hate more than each other are liberals. The annual CPAC presidential preference straw poll held at the end of the festivities proved it. Despite all the Trump-2028 merchandise being hawked in the bizarre bazaar--including red sequined leather jackets--J.D. Vance was the conference's choice to be the 2028 candidate. The Vice President won 53% of the vote while Secretary of State Marco Rubio got 35%. Both Don Jr. and Ron DeSantis received 2%.
It is a long, long way to 2028, but the 2026 primary season is, in some cases, already upon us. No one can know for sure, but all the indications are Mr. Trump and his GOP are in deep trouble. The people at CPAC could feel it this weekend and so could those crowds on the streets at over 3,000 different locations. Trump knows it too. It is why he is howling to get his voter restriction bill in place. He isn't the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but he understands it is easier to stop everyone from voting beforehand than it is to prove millions of votes cast and counted are fraudulent. He learned that lesson the hard way in 2020. (Or maybe not, given Tulsi Gabbard's last trip to Atlanta.)
That's right, democrats go ahead and celebrate the weekend to your heart's content. Just keep in mind one fact. There might have been eight million people demonstrating against Donald Trump and his policies on Saturday. But even if each and every one of them there was a registered voter, that still leaves over 170 million voters who weren't.
3-30-26
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