The FBI has acknowledged awareness of multiple instances where protesters at weekend 'No Kings' rallies across the United States explicitly called for violence against President Donald Trump and officials. These demonstrations, occurring shortly after the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, featured signs and chants referencing his death and promoting harm. The bureau stated its commitment to investigating such threats.
The 'No Kings' protests took place over the weekend of October 18-19, 2025, in cities including Chicago, Seattle, Denver, New York, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Portland, Maine. Demonstrators targeted President Trump, Republicans, and administration officials, with many invoking the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk, a prominent right-wing activist.
FBI spokesman Ben Williamson noted that while the bureau could not comment on specific investigations, it is 'committed to investigating and pursuing all those who threaten and perpetrate acts of violence.' The FBI confirmed it is 'aware of multiple instances' of protesters explicitly calling for violence at these events.
In Chicago, footage captured by journalist Christopher Sweat showed a man using a bullhorn to shout, 'You gotta grab a gun, we gotta turn around the guns on this fascist system... These ICE agents gotta get shot and wiped out.' Another incident in Chicago involved a woman, reportedly a public school teacher, mocking Kirk's killing by pretending to shoot herself in the neck near a vehicle displaying a pro-Kirk flag, as recorded by Eric Daugherty.
In Seattle, independent journalist Brandi Kruse filmed a protester carrying a sign reading 'Would you like to kill Nazis with me?' The man identified Stephen Miller as a Nazi and said, 'If I had the chance, yeah I would,' when asked if he would kill him.
The 'Denver Communists' group shared photos of participants wearing shirts with slogans like 'Politicians don’t die like they used to'—depicting an exploding head—and 'Make assassinations great again,' showing Trump and others being killed. They also distributed signs stating 'Charlie Kirk had it coming, change my mind,' and posted that these mocked Kirk's assassination and sparked discussions on anti-fascism.
The slogan '86 47,' interpreted as a call to kill Trump (the 47th president) and previously promoted by former FBI Director James Comey, appeared widely. Trump remarked to Fox News that Comey's use 'meant assassination.' In New York, a demonstrator explained it as 'Kill the son of a bitch... The 47th president!' DHS is investigating one such individual in Plattsburgh, NY. Similar signs were seen in D.C., Pennsylvania—where Crawford County's Democratic Party chair held one—and Georgia.
In Portland, Maine, a protester told The Maine Wire she hoped for Trump's obituary as a birthday present, responding 'Yes! Absolutely' when asked if she wished him dead.
These incidents have fueled claims of rising left-wing terrorism, though data on broader trends presents a more complicated picture, as noted in analyses following Kirk's assassination.