'No Kings' foot soldiers ignore organizers' warning, go all in for Democrats

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the high-level organizers of the "No Kings" demonstrations seek to turn their operation into a nationwide get-out-the-vote rally Saturday, their warning to steer clear of partisan messaging that could violate their own rules is falling on deaf ears.

A Fox News Digital investigation reveals that, on the ground, the political activation is in fact highly partisan, led by the center-left Indivisible nonprofit that has received millions of dollars of funding from Democratic mega-donor George Soros. "No Kings" organizers didn't respond to a request for comment.

The partisan nature of the day's events is important because political experts say the "No Kings" operation reveals a sophisticated electoral strategy: transform the crowds assembled for anti-Trump protests into a durable voter bloc that participates in elections and turns out a "Blue Tsunami" of votes in political battles. But federal election law bars nonprofits, many of which fund the "No Kings" operation, from advocating for particular candidates.

Behind today's action, Fox News Digital has identified a sprawling network of 300 progressive advocacy organizations, labor unions, Democratic political operatives and tax-exempt nonprofits with an estimated $2.5 billion in annual revenues, transforming the "No Kings" protest movement into a nationwide voter-mobilization operation of an estimated 3,000 events for Democrats.

A review of digital advertisements for Saturday's "No Kings: Vote Early" demonstrations and their organizing rhetoric identifies multiple instances of organizers promoting the very language the coalition's national rulebook forbids in its attempt to create the illusion of nonpartisanship.

In Newark, Delaware, Democratic activists from the local Indivisible chapter are encouraging voters to "wear blue" to their 2 p.m. demonstration at the corner of S. College Avenue and W. Main Street, and their "Sign Ideas" include: "Vote Blue Nov. 3," "Vote Early, Vote Blue" and "Time for a Blue Tsunami."

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Their announcement reads: "???? Wear blue to signify the blue tsunami we are hoping we will see in Nov!"

Some 3,000 miles away, in Roseburg, Ore., Indivisible Douglas County activists are advertising their own "No Kings" rally with suggested signs reading "DOUGLAS COUNTY VOTES BLUE!," "REPUBLICANS HAD THEIR CHANCE!" and "VOTE EARLY. VOTE THEM OUT!"

"Be bold. Be direct. Don't hold back," the Oregon organizers tell participants.

Those are precisely the kinds of partisan political messages the national "No Kings" coalition has explicitly prohibited.

On a Thursday night webinar promoting the protests, a member of Indivisible Colorado Springs told Indivisible co-founders Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin that the group's event is struggling to attract media attention without focusing on President Donald Trump.

Levin replied: "By all means, make it about Trump. Y'all make it about Trump. Create some conflict. Use some strong language. There's nothing about No Kings that says you can't focus on the fascists in the White House."

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Under "Event Prohibitions," a "Host Toolkit" warns: "Events must not be partisan in nature or make references to preferred election outcomes." It bars "candidate campaign activity," "any political party or political committee attending or helping coordinate the event."

The "Event Prohibitions" list bars events from being held at "overtly partisan organizations, or held at campaign offices, political party headquarters, or other locations principally associated with candidate or party political activity." The prohibitions explicitly state: "Events should not be jointly branded with partisan organizations,' and provides as "Examples: Democratic clubs, 'the Lincoln County Democratic Party.'"

Yet, in Roseville, Calif., the Placer County Democratic Party in California is explicit in its connection to the "No Kings" voter drive, advertising a canvassing operation specifically tied to Saturday's "No Kings" rally at the Roseville Galleria.

The party's website invites activists to attend a morning canvassing session at Harry Crabb Park, saying voters will be gathered at the rally at the Galleria and promising materials to help participants "support our endorsed candidates."

On their Democratic Party website, the local party activists describe the "No Kings" rally as "a day of nonpartisan voter participation."

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The advertisement raises questions about the relationship between the Democratic Party's candidate-support operation and an event whose national organizers expressly prohibit political parties, political committees and candidate campaigns from coordinating activities.

In Springfield, Pa., an event listed on the Women's March organizing platform advertises a one-hour "No Kings FOUR" demonstration at 1200 Baltimore Pike. The event calls for voter participation and, in another direct conflict with the national coalition's ban on "vote Blue" appeals, also declares: "Vote Blue. Vote. Make Your Voice Count."

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The coalition's own documents leave little ambiguity about its official standards.

In a five-page "Talking Points + Messaging" guide, organizers instruct participants not to use partisan political language, including telling participants to "vote for Democrats up and down the ballot" or saying, "we can get a Democratic Congress elected in 2026 to resist Trump."

It bars any "speaker expressing bias for or against any candidate for office," the guide states.

It prohibits candidate campaign activities, including campaign literature, fundraising and coordination with campaign staff. Political parties and political committees are also barred from helping coordinate events.

The instructions go beyond conventional warnings against endorsements.

Organizers specifically prohibit references to "MAGA politicians" and calls to elect a Democratic Congress. Even urging participants to register as Democrats ahead of the midterms is explicitly forbidden.

Another document, "Event Prohibitions + Things to Note," specifically prohibits "vote them out" and "vote Blue" messaging, campaign fundraising and political party coordination.

Still, in Kingstowne, Va., Indivisible of Franconia is promoting its Oct. 17 rally at South Van Dorn Street and Kingstowne Village Parkway with the statement: "We vote for leaders to represent our interests—and if they don’t, we need to vote them out."

The coalition also prohibits events hosted or co-sponsored by overtly partisan organizations, including Democratic clubs.

Its "Election Law FAQs" and "Resources" go further, warning that merely describing an event as "nonpartisan" doesn't establish that it meets the standard.

"Saying this doesn’t automatically make it so," the document states.

The contradictions come as "No Kings" draws on a sprawling coalition of advocacy organizations, labor unions and political activists.

In March, Fox News Digital identified about 500 organizations associated with the movement, representing an estimated $3 billion in combined annual revenues.

The coalition partner list for today's protests is smaller but continues to include major labor organizations such as the American Federation of Teachers, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the National Education Association and the Service Employees International Union.

It also includes organizations that align with the Democratic Party, including: Indivisible, MoveOn, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, End Citizens United, NextGen America, Our Revolution, Voto Latino and the Democratic Socialists of America.

Most of these organizations or their affiliated political committees have histories of substantial spending to support Democratic candidates and causes. Their involvement places organizations with extensive electoral experience inside a coalition now publicly promising to avoid partisan campaign activity.

The coalition's breadth also raises questions about how organizers distinguish between participating in a nonpartisan event and advancing the electoral objectives of affiliated political organizations.

The political infrastructure was visible during the March 28 flagship No Kings rally in St. Paul, Minn.

Fox News Digital documented an estimated $250,000 production operation involving nine vendors, approximately 30 semitrucks, a massive stage, eight video screens and other concert-scale equipment.

Roger Fisk, a former Obama and Biden administration political strategist, described himself as a senior adviser to the flagship event and credited its sophisticated media operation with generating hundreds of millions of digital impressions.

The event featured Democratic political figures and celebrities, including rock star Bruce Springsteen and actress Jane Fonda, illustrating the extensive organizational and political relationships behind the movement.

Former Gov. Tim Walz, Rep. Ilhan Omar and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison – all Democrats – were among the event's political speakers, alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

The involvement of Democratic officials in earlier anti-Trump demonstrations illustrates the movement's close relationship with Democratic political figures.

Now the coalition is moving from street demonstrations to voter mobilization.

In its October "Host Toolkit," "No Kings" describes Saturday's events as an opportunity to turn protest participation into electoral engagement.

"Pivoting our strategy from marching to voting is our movement using the tool available to us when it matters most," the coalition tells organizers.

The "Host Toolkit" insists: "Vote Early events are nonpartisan and are designed to increase participation from all eligible voters. The event should not reference, endorse, or oppose any candidate or political party. The event should not coordinate with any campaign or permit campaign materials. The event should comply with all applicable federal, state and local election laws."

The campaign calls for voter education, early-voting assistance, volunteer recruitment and election-protection training, with additional organizing sessions scheduled after Oct. 17.

The coalition maintains that the effort is intended for all eligible voters, regardless of party preference.

The distinction between partisan advocacy and nonpartisan voter education matters particularly for tax-exempt organizations.

Under federal law, 501(c)(3) charities are prohibited from supporting or opposing political candidates. Other organizations, including 501(c)(4) advocacy groups and political action committees, operate under different legal restrictions.

Indivisible, the coalition's leading organizer, operates through several affiliated entities with different legal structures, including a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a political action committee.

The coalition has scheduled an Oct. 21 training on what happens after the demonstrations, followed by an Oct. 22 session on sustained mobilization and protecting election results.

Just two days before the nationwide No Kings demonstrations, Indivisible co-founders Levin and Greenberg discussed the November midterms in openly partisan terms, celebrating Democratic candidates, criticizing Republicans and outlining their hopes for Democratic control of Congress.

"Our candidates are quite good all around the country. Their candidates are quite trash all over the country," Levin said, referring to Democratic and Republican candidates, respectively.

During the program, Levin, identifying himself as "a Texas Democrat," summarized the organization's immediate priorities: "Right now, we're just full on let's win the election, but after that, we're going to shift."

Levin said "you got to let people connect the dots" on the "nonpartisan" messaging.

In a webinar last week, Levin was clear about the effort's political and electoral goals to win a "Democratic trifecta" in the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate, saying: "It ain't over in November. It ain't over in 2027. It ain't over in 2028. We are building towards a national Democratic trifecta in 2029 that ushers in an age of accountability and reform..."