The “No Kings” Rallies: Tricks or Treats?

PSYCHIATRIC VIEWS ON THE DAILY NEWS

In our last column on Friday, October 24th, we mentioned that this Halloween seemed to warrant a closer look at our social psychiatric news in terms of tricks and treats. Given the continuing political conflicts and ongoing government shutdown, perhaps the “No Kings” rallies of October 18 deserve our first attention. Some have even wondered if the government will even open up again as before!

These were the second such rallies, and after the first ones on June 17, I wrote a column titled “Assessing the Effectiveness of the “No Kings” protests. Simultaneously, President Trump held a military parade. Since then, the national guard has been called up in some cities to help in the ICE roundups and nothing yet seems to have slowed down the President’s powers. Moreover, after the rallies, an AI generated video was posted, depicting the President in a fighter jet labelled “King Trump” dropping what looked like human excrement onto a protesting crowd. A Freudian interpretation would focus on its phallic and anal symbols of power.

We in psychiatry had already held the first-ever psychiatrists rally at the American Psychiatric Association meeting in Los Angeles in May, which I reported on from the meeting itself. Our focus was not directly “No Kings,” but concern about the administrative policies that were decreasing mental health care and unduly criticizing certain of our well-rounded treatments, especially some psychiatric medications. Laid off and furloughed workers are likely at mental health risk.

From the reports that I knew and saw, the recent “No Kings” rallies around the country were well-attended, estimated at 7 million, up from the 5 million of the first set of rallies. They were peaceful and pretty much fun. What’s not to like about them, then? Were they not a treat? The answer to that probably lies in the ongoing outcome and response from the target of the rallies, President Trump and his administration.

Whether it was just a coincidental planning schedule or not, some critics think that the unexpected expansion of the White House resembles a King’s palace and is thereby a trick. Supporters of the administration seem to think it is a treat. One justification is for a big space for events that have in the past been held in tents. Is this all in the eyes of the beholder? That there were simultaneous administration events at the same time of the publicized “No Kings” rallies suggest that the administration might have felt they were an affront and humiliating, leading to some sort of revenge as humiliation often does.

Whereas the goals of the “No Kings” rallies were, almost by definition, not to have an autocratic head of our government, is that sufficient as a goal? What is desired instead? A return to the usual? But the usual might be a trick because it led us to the current situation in the first place. Moreover, almost as a direct opposite of a King, the “No Kings” rallies seem to lack an unvarying leader. Is that a trick or a treat? Perhaps the models of foraging smaller communities in central Africa, which adapt with social and leadership fluidity, provides some wider adaptation possibilities.¹

In clinical practice, usually the best therapeutic alliance is one of a democratic partnership, though at times of risk more autocratic decision-making is necessary. Can that also fit political leadership, being more or less democratic when indicated for the well-being of the country?

That these rallies were an expression of democracy and that the strength of a democracy correlates with many health and mental health outcomes, I would count that as a special treat.²

Dr Moffic is an award-winning psychiatrist who specialized in the cultural and ethical aspects of psychiatry and is now in retirement and retirement as a private pro bono community psychiatrist. A prolific writer and speaker, he has done a weekday column titled “Psychiatric Views on the Daily News” and a weekly video, “Psychiatry & Society,” since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. He was chosen to receive the 2024 Abraham Halpern Humanitarian Award from the American Association for Social Psychiatry. Previously, he received the Administrative Award in 2016 from the American Psychiatric Association, the one-time designation of being a Hero of Public Psychiatry from the Speaker of the Assembly of the APA in 2002, and the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in 1991. He presented the third Rabbi Jeffrey B. Stiffman lecture at Congregation Shaare Emeth in St. Louis on Sunday, May 19, 2024. He is an advocate and activist for mental health issues related to climate instability, physician burnout, and xenophobia. He is now editing the final book in a 4-volume series on religions and psychiatry for Springer: Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, Christianity, and now The Eastern Religions, and Spirituality. He serves on the Editorial Board of Psychiatric Times.

References

1. Padilla-Iglesias C. Seasons of change. American Scientist. 2025;113(6):342-344.

2. Bollyky TJ, Templin T, Cohen M, et al. The relationships between democratic experience, adult health, and cause-specific mortality in 170 countries between 1980 and 2016: an observable analysis. Lancet. 2019;393(10181):1628-1640.