Last Saturday will probably go down as the largest day of peaceful protest in the 250-year history of the United States of America (USA). Organisers said nearly seven million people – much more than twice the population of Jamaica – turned out at more than 2,700 “No Kings” protests in cities and towns in all 50 states across the USA. This represents about two per cent of the total population of the USA, and more than seven percent of Americans over 18 years old. Amazing!
The Jamaican equivalent would be over 155,000 adults turning out to protest – enough to fill the National Stadium just under four-and-a-half times over!
The turnout last Saturday was two million more than the five million that turned out on President Trump’s birthday four months ago (on June 14) for the same purpose: to express profound disapproval with his dictatorial and undemocratic approach to governance.
The basic point of the “No Kings” protest is that the USA is not a monarchy, but a democracy headed by an elected president. Parliaments (Houses of Representatives) guided by constitutions make laws which determine how a country is run. Kings rule by decree. King Charles III of the United Kingdom – a genuine King – cannot decree that a government department be abolished, or that development aid to nations or NGOs be halted, or that the British Army march on Liverpool or Birmingham, or that those who criticize him be arrested.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has expanded the scope of presidential power, using executive orders to dismantle parts of the federal government and to deploy National Guard troops to US cities despite objections by state governors. He has also called on the administration’s top law enforcement officials to prosecute his perceived enemies.
It is said that following the nationwide ‘No Kings’ rallies, Donald Trump mocked protesters by posting AI-generated images and videos portraying him as a crowned king on his personal, official, and affiliated social media accounts. The claim is that Trump posted videos on Truth Social showing himself wearing a crown, flying a “KING TRUMP” jet and dropping brown liquid on crowds. Furthermore, the official White House account posted an image of Trump and Vice President JD Vance wearing crowns. Google them, and take a look!
What are the facts? Since becoming President in January this year, Trump has issued 210 executive orders (in less than 10 months), or about 20/month – an average of about one per working day.
President Biden issued 162 executive orders in four years, or an average of 40/year or much less than one per week. President Obama issued 277 in eight years, or on average 35/year – even less than Biden.
It seems that several of Trump’s executive orders may be unconstitutional; court orders have halted the execution of several of them. The courts seem to be the last bulwark against dictatorship. In the US system it is the President who nominates the judges on the US Supreme Court. This is not a good system. In Jamaica the Prime Minister names the Chief Justice. That is not good either. We must change that.
Jamaica seeks to do away with the British monarchy to become a republic; but for God’s sake, let us avoid at all costs the kind of republic that the USA has turned out to be. We must be very careful not to swap one type of monarch for another. Quite frankly, that is what the mock Constitutional Reform Committee set up under the previous administration was trying to do.