The “No Kings” demonstrations that swept through American cities last weekend signified far more than political theatre. They were a direct rebuke to President Donald Trump’s brash, unrestrained use of presidential authority ~ a message that millions of Americans are unwilling to accept the transformation of public office into personal dominion. Yet, as stirring as the images were, the harder question for Democrats is what comes next. The protests projected impressive energy. They drew Americans from different regions and classes under a single banner, a defence of democratic restraint.

Families marched alongside veterans of earlier movements. The mood was defiant but peaceful, almost celebratory. Still, the data hint at limits to that enthusiasm. According to a recent YouGov poll, only about 34 per cent of Americans strongly approve of the No Kings protests, with another 10 per cent somewhat approving. That leaves a majority ~ 56 per cent ~ either........

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