8 Million Marched. Trump Didn’t Show Up to CPAC. His Approval Hit 36%.
The big picture: Over eight million people participated in more than 3,300 “No Kings” protests across all 50 states on Saturday, making it the largest single-day demonstration in U.S. history according to organizers. On the same day, CPAC held its annual conference in Dallas without Donald Trump for the first time since 2016. His approval just hit 36%, the lowest of his second term.
Why it matters: The opposition is showing up in record numbers over the war, deportations, the economy, and democratic erosion. Meanwhile the conservative movement is split over whether the Iran war is good, whether Tucker Carlson belongs in MAGA, and whether to unify or keep purging. AND the president whose movement this is supposed to be didn’t bother to attend.
No Kings: Organizers say 8 million people turned out to 3,300+ events in all 50 states. Local authorities put some city totals lower, but scale was undeniable. This was the third event (5M in June 2025, 7M in October). Bruce Springsteen performed in Saint Paul. Bernie Sanders spoke to tens of thousands in the Twin Cities, saying: “We not only say no to Trump’s authoritarianism. We say no to Mr. Musk, no to Mr. Bezos and Mr. Zuckerberg and all the other multibillionaires.” The White House called them “Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions.”
CPAC without Trump: First time since 2016 that Trump didn’t attend CPAC. Reuters puts his approval at 36%, the lowest of his second term. Iran war approval: 35%. At CPAC 2024, Trump blasted those who “gorged themselves on the spoils of endless wars.” Now he is the endless war.
The Iran split: Matt Gaetz expressed reservations about the war on stage. BUT panels titled “No Nukes for Jihad” and “MAGA vs. Mullah Madness” drew big crowds. Ted Cruz got a reaction saying there’s “a greater chance in the next six months we will see a new government in Venezuela, in Cuba, and in Iran.” RFK Jr. told a story about Trump demonstrating his geopolitical genius over McDonald’s on a plane.
The one pushback: Brandon Straka: “If you call yourself a patriot, but you believe that it is your obligation to only praise and only worship your president, then you must not be a patriot of this country, because leader worship is how citizens behave in nations that aren’t free.”
The MAGA civil war: Most speakers called for a ceasefire before midterms, saying Carlson, Kelly, Shapiro, and Levin need to unify against Democrats. BUT Josh Hammer argued that Carlson, Kelly, and Candace Owens are “too far gone” for the movement. So even the unity pitch started another fight about who belongs.
By the numbers:
8 million+ — No Kings protest participants (organizers’ count)
3,300+ — protest events across all 50 states
36% — Trump’s approval rating (Reuters, lowest of second term)
35% — approval for Iran strikes
2016 — last time Trump missed CPAC
3 — No Kings events total (5M → 7M → 8M)
The bottom line: Put these two events side by side and the picture is clear. Eight million people marching against the president on the same day his own movement holds a conference he didn’t attend, polls at 36%, and spends the weekend arguing about who’s allowed to be MAGA. None of this means anything changes tomorrow. BUT heading into midterms, the opposition is showing up in numbers that are getting harder to dismiss, and the movement that put Trump in office can’t agree on whether its own war is good or who belongs in its own tent.
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