Elon Musk's 'No Kings' Post Goes Viral

Newsweek

5 hours ago

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Elon Musk posted a cryptic message about the "No Kings" protests after activists took to the streets across the U.S. over the weekend.
The tech CEO's social media post came after protests were organized in hundreds of cities while a military parade in Washington, D.C, celebrating the anniversary of the U.S. Army's creation took place on Flag Day, which was also President Donald Trump's birthday.
Newsweek has contacted Musk via X's press office by email.
The Context
Demonstrators turned out across the U.S. on Saturday to participate in coordinated "No Kings" protests, aimed at denouncing President Donald Trump's leadership. Many of the events reportedly remained largely peaceful, though several cities saw violent altercations, including a vehicular assault in Virginia and a shooting in Utah.
What To Know
Late Sunday night, early Monday morning, Elon Musk took to his own social media platform X to discuss the protests.
"Anyone else think of this yesterday?" Musk wrote, posting a banner from the video game BioShock, which reads "No Gods or Kings. Only Man."
The quote is associated with one of the game's antagonists, Andrew Ryan, the capitalist founder of the underwater city of Rapture, where the game takes place. Ryan's bust can be seen in the image Musk posted, above the quote.
Elon Musk speaks alongside U.S. President Donald Trump to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Elon Musk speaks alongside U.S. President Donald Trump to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Getty Images
It is unclear what Musk was suggesting with the post, whether he was criticizing the "No Kings" movement or siding with the protesters against Trump.
Musk has previously used images or videos to voice dissatisfaction with the White House. After the Liberation Day tariffs were announced, Musk posted a video of economist Milton Friedman condemning the kind of trade policy that Trump had implemented.
While Musk clashed heavily with the president earlier this month over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, going so far as to call for Trump's impeachment, he has since rolled back the rhetoric, and said that he regretted some of the posts he said about his former political ally.
Since then, Musk's social media has struck a more conciliatory note. He has shared screenshots of Trump's Truth Social posts, and retweeted several posts from Vice President JD Vance.
What People Are Saying
The San Diego Police Department said on X, formerly Twitter, following protests on Saturday: "You stayed classy, San Diego. Thank you to the thousands who demonstrated peacefully today. No arrests, and no incidents."
Republican congressional candidate Lily Tang Williams said on X, Saturday: "We ran into the first 'No Kings' protest in Fort Lauderdale, FL. It is peaceful so far, police officers are present, traffic is slow. I heard Miami might have bigger one. Be careful out there and stay calm!"
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said on X, Saturday: "30,000 people showed up across our city to exercise their constitutional right to peaceful protest today—that's powerful. A curfew is in effect in Downtown Los Angeles to stop bad actors who do not care about immigrants' rights. Get home safe, LA."
What Happens Next
Whether more protests are held in response to Trump's policies remains to be seen.