Gov. Greg Abbott has again ordered state troopers and Texas National Guard soldiers to Austin ahead of the protest, calling the planned demonstrations "Antifa-linked" despite their sponsorship by groups like the ACLU, League of Women Voters and Sierra Club.

Protesters flooded into streets chanting, marching and waving homemade signs. Organizers said nearly 7 million people showed up for the demonstrations across the country.

Thousands of people gathered at the Texas Capitol on Saturday to participate in a “No Kings Day” protest, part of a nationwide movement to push back against policies linked to the Trump administration. Local organizers and representatives, including Democratic Reps. Greg Casar and Lloyd Doggett of Austin, spoke at the Capitol.

The latest episode of "Saturday Night Live" featured President Trump declaring the No Kings protests are actually a celebration of George Santos.

Oct. 19, 2025 Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at ‘No Kings’ rally in D.C. © 2025 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

Trump spoke at a $1 million-per-plate MAGA fundraiser Oct. 17, 2025, at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. No Kings protests are Saturday, Oct 18, 2025, nationwide

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson is pushing back on Gov. Greg Abbott's deployment of the Texas National Guard and state troops to the city in what he calls a move of militarization—confirming troops will not be in the streets unless needed.

Large crowds of protesters marched and rallied in cities across the U.S. Saturday for “ No Kings ” demonstrations decrying what participants see as the government’s swift drift into authoritarianism under President Donald Trump.