'It's a joke': Trump dismisses 'No Kings' protests, blames radical left for funding them

President Donald Trump called the national "No Kings" protests that took place over the weekend in all 50 states across the country "a joke," and rejected accusations of acting like a monarch.

"I think it's a joke," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned from Florida to Washington. "I looked at the people. They're not representative of this country. I looked at all the brand new signs, I guess it was paid for by [George] Soros and other radical left lunatics. It looks like it was. We're checking it out. The demonstrations were very small, very ineffective," he added.

Organizers estimated that more than 7 million Americans participated in the protests, with rallies in major cities such as New York, Chicago, Washington and Los Angeles, as well as smaller towns across the country.

The protests sought to highlight what participants consider an "erosion of democratic institutions" and the expansion of executive power.

Trump reiterated his rejection of the criticism, assuring that he does not intend to assume an authoritarian role: "I'm not a king. I work my ass off to make our country great, that's all it is. I'm not a king at all," he emphasized in an interview with Fox Business.

Trump's social media nod to No Kings protests.

In addition, the president turned to his social network Truth Social to respond with an approximately 20-second video meme, created using artificial intelligence (A.I.).

In the clip, Trump appears wearing a crown and piloting a fighter jet labeled "King Trump," while dropping large amounts of brown debris on protesters, who appear drenched. The video is set to the song "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins, made famous by the movie "Top Gun."

The post generated immediate controversy, as critics saw the video as trivializing protests and citizen participation, while Trump supporters interpreted it as a political joke and a message of strength.

The president also posted a series of memes, in one of which he joked about remaining in power until the year 9,000.

Despite the statements and the video, the organizers of the No Kings protests assured that the demonstrations will continue in defense of democracy and the separation of powers in the country.