Two oddly congruent developments are happening in 2026: the “No Kings” rallies, and celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. What is remarkable is how the two are in harmony: The complaints so eloquently made by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration closely track the fears expressed by those involved in the “No Kings” movement.
Sunday, March 29, 2026
Sunday Reflection: No Kings
It was quite a day in St. Paul yesterday. I also had a piece in the Waco paper, where I said this:
The Declaration of Independence was commissioned and drafted in the spring and summer of 1776 by a “Committee of Five” appointed by the Continental Congress. Thomas Jefferson was the initial drafter, and other members of that committee included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman of Connecticut and Robert Livingston of New York. The short document they produced was rooted in the grievances of the colonists and reflected their deep values. They did not craft them casually; they knew that what they were saying constituted treason punishable by death. Considered in the current context, the words they wrote carry resonance. Consider the following complaints voiced by our Founders against the King:
“For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world”
Like King George III, the Trump administration has choked trade with the rest of the world. Trump’s primary tool has been a confounding and often-changing regime of tariffs that have left entire sectors of our economy in tumult. He has hit some limits after an adverse Supreme Court ruling, of course, but seems determined to continue to use this tool to benefit his own purposes and punish those countries that displease him. The power to regulate commerce with foreign nations is expressly given to Congress in the Constitution, but that power — like the power to declare war — currently lies unclaimed.
“He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither….”
The spare words of the Declaration of Independence make one thing very clear: We are meant to be a nation of immigrants. The Trump administration’s attacks on immigration and immigrants has threatened even those already naturalized as citizens, and their efforts to restrict new migration and remove people already here is already changing communities for the worse. While premised on anecdotes about crime, it ignores the data that shows criminality among immigrants to be lower than that among people born in the United States.
"He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good."
For Americans who value the rule of law, these are hard times. It is clear that the administration considers criminal laws to be “for thee, not for me,” as they shield evidence in criminal cases against ICE agents, intimidate the judiciary and disregard court orders in record numbers. The resistance to accountability breeds contempt for the government, and predictably claims of corruption (warranted or not) are becoming legion.
“He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us...”
The events of Jan. 6, 2021— the sight of insurrectionists scrambling through the broken windows of the Capitol as a scaffold and noose were erected outside — will live long in our history, and in a dark place. “Excited” is a good verb to apply to Trump’s role, too, as his words that day before the assault on the Capitol urged a burgeoning crowd to action in a speech that was filled with violent imagery and in which he literally urged people to march to the Capitol. While Trump defenders argue that his directive to “fight like hell, and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore” was not an explicit call to violence, it certainly did “excite” the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, and many others in attendance.
“He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.”
Here in Minnesota, this complaint has special resonance, where a suddenly super-sized and over-funded force of ICE agents made the winter miserable. “Sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people” is about the best description I have seen of Operation Metro Surge. Famously, though, that goal was not achieved, and the people of Minneapolis won out in the end.
People certainly have the right to criticize the “No Kings” protesters, and to defend the president and his policies. But there is no denying the spirit of those protestors — or their long and shimmering web of connection to those who crafted the words within the Declaration of Independence that we still find inspiring.
