Americans are set to join ‘No Kings Day’ rallies in all 50 states on October 18, organized by Indivisible and over 200 groups to oppose authoritarianism and affirm democratic values drawn from the Declaration of Independence.

Democratic leaders including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer support the events as peaceful expressions of free speech and patriotism, while Republicans such as Senators Ted Cruz and Rick Scott denounce them as Soros-funded and linked to communist groups, with Texas Governor Greg Abbott deploying state forces to ensure order.

However, in a statement, Trump underplay the protest stating: “a huge thank you to all the “No kings” protesters,” declaring he is still the president as against the backdrop of the protest

The protests occur against the backdrop of a 15-day federal shutdown furloughing 2 million workers and disrupting services like SNAP benefits and ACA subsidies.