♔“No Kings, Recap” Edition

The latest “No Kings” rallies drew millions of Americans into the streets to protest the increasingly awkward reality that the United States appears to have accidentally elected a man who sees the Constitution as a speed bump between himself and a gold-plated throne.

This time, the protests had extra energy thanks to the Iran war, which reminded younger voters that they were promised “America First” and instead got “Call of Duty.” Protesters furious about endless war, ICE crackdowns, and Trump’s habit of treating federal agencies like family-owned strip malls packed rallies across the country.

In Minnesota, crowds denounced both the war and the administration’s immigration raids, while Bruce Springsteen showed up to remind everyone that when you’ve lost Bruce Springsteen, you’re no longer leading a political movement, you’re captaining a national embarrassment.

Near Mar-a-Lago, protesters gathered with signs like “Grab ’em by the midterms” and “Tiger Woods for Trump’s chauffer,” while counterprotesters rallied to defend the president at his Florida palace, where he spends so much time golfing and brooding that historians may eventually list “resident of Palm Beach” as his official title.

Meanwhile, Democratic candidates flocked to the rallies, apparently deciding that the safest place to campaign in 2026 is wherever people are already carrying anti-Trump signs and wondering whether the republic can survive four years of a man who treats public office like a cross between a grievance podcast and a licensing deal.

Democrats also found fresh inspiration when the Treasury Department announced it would begin printing dollars with Trump’s signature on them, because apparently the administration heard “No Kings” and responded with the equivalent of an extended middle finger.

David Horsey - Tribune Content Agency

Nick Anderson - Substack and Tribune Content Agency

KAL - Substack and Andrews McMeel

Dave Whamond - cagle.com/whamond

Pedro Molina - Tinyview and Tribune Content Agency

Clay Bennett - Tribune Content Agency

Pat Bagley - cagle.com/bagley

Michael Ramirez - Creators

Jimmy Margulies - King Features

The Trump administration has unveiled a bold new affordability strategy: make gasoline, electricity, insurance, and health care all more expensive at the same time.

After promising to slash energy prices, Trump now presides over soaring gas costs, rising utility bills, and an Iran war that has sent oil prices jumping like they just heard “bombing campaign” on cable news. According to critics, administration policies could raise household energy costs by hundreds of dollars a year, all while Trump continues to insist he’s delivering “cheap energy.”

The administration has reportedly moved to block wind farms, gut clean-energy incentives, weaken pollution standards, and prop up aging coal plants, which is an interesting way to prepare for the future if your goal is to recreate 1974.

Americans are now paying more for gasoline, more for electricity, more for homeowners insurance, and potentially more for health problems caused by increased pollution. The EPA has rolled back rules on smog, soot, mercury, and other pollutants, creating what experts call a “public health problem” and what coal lobbyists probably call “strong quarterly earnings.”

Meanwhile, Trump reportedly wants taxpayers to spend nearly a billion dollars paying a French company not to build offshore wind farms that could power 1.3 million homes. Because when conservatives say they oppose government waste, they apparently mean they prefer more creative, expensive forms of it.

The broader message of Trump-era energy policy is becoming clear: why invest in cheaper, cleaner power that would reduce dependence on foreign oil when you can double down on coal, start a war in the Middle East, and then act shocked when gas prices explode?

Some administrations inherit an energy crisis. This one is determined to build its own.