Overview
- Republican leaders dismissed the demonstrations as unrepresentative, with President Trump saying protesters did not reflect the country and House Speaker Mike Johnson calling their message contrary to the nation’s founding.
- PRRI found 56% of Americans chose a description of Trump as a potentially dangerous dictator over a strong leader framing (41%), up from a 52%–44% split in April.
- A majority in the same poll, 54%, said Trump is undermining constitutional checks and the rule of law, with large shares reporting they feel this way strongly.
- Trump and his allies circulated AI-generated videos portraying him as a monarch, including a clip showing brown sludge dropped on protesters, with related content posted from Vice President J.D. Vance’s Bluesky account.
- Commentators reported federal force deployments in cities such as Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Memphis and warned of deepening polarization and potential for political violence, while specific claims like hypotheses about Charlie Kirk’s killing remain unverified.