The glaring absence proving that anti-Trump Republicans are all talk

People gather near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during a "No Kings" protest in Washington, DC, October 17, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Heuer

With the latest "No Kings" day of nationwide protests against President Donald Trump upon us, a new piece from MS NOW argued that their continued absence from such events is proving that many anti-Trump Republicans are all talk and no action.

In a new piece published Saturday morning, MS NOW senior editor and columnist Anthony L. Fisher argued that while the No Kings movement has provided a meaningful outlet for busy everyday Americans to take part in demonstrations against Trump, he still could not help but feel "underwhelmed" by the continued absence of "a certain subset of Americans" from the events. This cohort of voters, "right-of-center voters that are more loyal to the Constitution than to Trump," seems to exist according to recent polling, but is continually failing to rise to the occasion, as they seem to "lack the courage to stand up and be counted in public."

"A Fox News poll conducted between Oct. 9-12 found that among self-identified MAGA Republicans, Trump’s approval rating is 95 percent — a figure that would make most dictators blush," Fisher explained. "Meanwhile, among Republicans who don’t self-identify with the cult of Trump, the president is underwater: 47 percent approve, while 52 percent disapprove. Among independents, 22 percent approve and 78 percent disapprove."

He added: "Hey, non-MAGA Republicans and independents who live in objective reality, now’s a good time to show your faces in public!"

Fisher noted that these everyday citizens do not face the same stakes as elected Republicans who have been too afraid to stand up to Trump publicly, given that they could end up targeted directly by Trump's MAGA wrath and lose their office. While not a commendable reason, it is still a reason, something that anti-Trump everyday Republicans lack. He added that he was "confident" that "few, if any," of these supposed voters would manage to attend this weekend's No Kings events.

"Whether because of apathy or fear of catching cooties from anything associated with Democrats or the left, the result is the same: they’ll be sitting on the sidelines as Trump gobbles up more American yardage for himself," Fisher argued. "It’s possible that the polls predicting a 'blue wave' election are correct. But a midterm 'wipeout' isn’t enough for America to recover. Impeachments, investigations and public shaming ought to be the order of the day if Democrats win back one or both houses of Congress, but even that won’t do. For America to achieve some semblance of a shared national identity, there must be a near-universal call for a return to decency and respect for plurality. But that can only happen when roughly half the country demands the end of an unprecedented American personality cult that they’ve voted for in three consecutive elections."

He added: "I’m glad No Kings is drawing people to the streets and encouraging people to vote. It’s just not nearly enough. Not until the non-left — composed of non-MAGA Republicans, conservatives, libertarians and anti-woke centrists — confronts its own complicity and forges its own No Kings movement."

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