Trump's defiant retort to 'No Kings' protesters as US cities prepare for demonstrations today

Donald Trump has weighed in with his thoughts on the 'No Kings' protests, which are set to go ahead today at the same time as a military parade in Washington D.C. for the Army’s 250th anniversary, and his 79th birthday.

Around 2,000 protests in cities across the US are expected to take place today (June 14) - though there is no protest happening in Washington D.C, where the parade will be.

Protest organiser No Kings explained the reason for their approaching demonstration is "a direct response to Donald Trump’s self-aggrandizing $100 million military parade and birthday celebration, an event funded by taxpayers while millions are told there's no money for Social Security, SNAP, Medicaid, or public schools."

What did Trump have to say about this?

When asked by a reporter on Thursday (June 12) to share his thoughts on the upcoming 'No Kings' protests, the president clearly disagreed with the whole king comparison.

"I don't feel like a king. I have to go through hell to get stuff approved," he responded, prompting laughter from people in the room.

He continued: "A king would say 'I'm not going to get this.' A king would have never had the California mandate to even be talking, he wouldn't have to call up [House Speaker] Mike Johnson and [Senate Majority Leader John] Thune and say, 'Fellas you've got to pull this off' and after years we get it done. No no, we're not a king, we're not a king at all."

(The California mandate refers to Trump recently signing a congressional resolution which overturns a California state rule approved by the Biden administration last year that would've phased out the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.)

Social media users couldn't help but point out how Trump said "we're not a king" at the end of his remarks, using ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ by a single person, something that is traditionally used by a sovereign.

"'We're not a king' he says, using the royal we," one person said.

A second person noted, "But notice he’s using the Royal 'we!'"

"'We're not a king,' says Trump, using the royal we," a third person commented.

A fourth person replied, "We’re not a king? Using the Royal we, though."

Elsewhere, Trump protests: Everything we know so far about the ‘No Kings’ protests happening during the military parade, and The 10 best protest signs against Trump.

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