In the US, Trump’s 2nd term administration aspires to lead with an authoritarian style of government.
The No Kings nationwide protests originally started as a response to congress handing over, most of its powers to the president as if he is a king or emperor. Additionally, congress has simply abandoned its constitutional duties (like on tariffs) and allowed the presidency to fill the vacuum.
By the time the third edition of the No Kings protests took place, inevitably the war the US and Israel started on 28 February 2026 against Iran has become an additional focal point of the movement.
The 3rd event featured over 3,300 organized events across all 50 states and, remarkably, in more than a dozen countries worldwide.
Organizers are claiming success and estimate that more than 8 million people participated in this third “No Kings” protest held on March 28, 2026, making it the largest single-day demonstration in US history.
Independent verification of the 8 million figure is not available. Some independent estimates range from 5 million to 6.5 million participants.
It is not disputed however that this 3rd round turnout surpasses the second round of protests in October 2025, which, according to organizers, drew an estimated 7 million people, and the first round in June 2025, which drew 5 million.
Regardless, the 3rd edition falls short of the 11 to 12 million target. That number is derived from the theory that approximately 3.5% of a population participating on civil protests is needed to force change.
November mid-terms
During the protest a lot of participants were looking to the upcoming mid-term elections for the US congress as a next step forward.
All 435 seats in the US House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 Senate seats will be up for election in the November 2026 midterms. This includes 33 regular-cycle Senate seats and 2 special elections to fill vacancies from Ohio and Florida. Additionally, 36 gubernatorial elections for governor of a state are contested as well as thousands of state legislative seats across 46 states, D.C., and territories. And finally numerous state and local offices, such as attorneys general, secretaries of state, and ballot initiatives are put before voters.
Most of these elections have a predictable outcome, so the focus is concentrated on elections in a few battleground states.
12 seats in the US Senate are earmarked as battlegrounds races in 2026. Democrats currently control two of those seats, and Republicans control seven.
Additionally, elections for 43 districts in the US House can be regarded as battleground races in 2026. Democrats control 23 of those districts, and Republicans control 20.
Expectations at the protests were that the Democrats will do well this November and increase their representation and thus limit the ability of the administration to govern by presidential dictate.