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The 'No Kings' Protest Became a Pro-Cringe Rally, and Jon Karl Explodes the Democrat Shutdown Narrative

Brad Slager
Brad Slager  |  Oct 20, 2025
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Legalized Press-titution – MSNBC

  • When a reporter should have run away from a story.

This weekend's "No Kings" protest was a truly confounding affair. The first issue is that we have been celebrating "No Kings" for about 250 years, every July 4th. Then, the people who first complained that we should not have a king later complained that conservatives dared to point out that we do not have one.

But the biggest issue with this protest was in asking, what was being accomplished? We saw geriatric activists, insipid dance teams, and – for no reason anyone can explain – inflatable animals were a predominant image throughout the gatherings. 

At one rally, MSNBC's Jacob Soboroff saw a blow-up unicorn, and he felt the need to rush up and interview the occupant…while remaining inside their pink cocoon. Be sure to linger for when he is mashing his microphone into the snout of the unicorn to capture the deeply relevant thoughts of…somebody.

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Pre-Written Field Reports – MSNBC

  • That he expected any other response is the funniest aspect.

While these protests were playing out across the country, MSNBC's White House correspondent Jake Traylor contacted the administration to get their opinion on the activities.

He was met with a severe dose of political apathy.

DNC PR Firm – THE NEW YORK TIMES

  • Well of COURSE French went to the protest…

Yes, everyone's favorite sanctimonious scold, David French, went to the "No Kings" protest in Chicago. After all, what else would a stalwart conservative do with his Saturday?

It is rather quaint that he dismisses the claims of this being an astroturf affair with organized funding, and his first photo provided is of a pre-printed sign with the approved logo prominently displayed.

Gilded Reframe – ABC NEWS

  • We get the feeling Jon will be receiving a phone call from the DNC.

Jonathan Karl either unintentionally stepped in it, or he has simply given up on trying to sell a story that is obviously wrong. He had Speaker Mike Johnson sitting in with him on Sunday to discuss all of the wrangling over the past two weeks of fighting. In the discussion, Karl bluntly stated, possibly while focused on the House being closed for the time being, that the Democrats are the ones who have things shuttered in Washington:

"The Democrats did not vote for the clean funding bill. They have chosen to shut the government down - to fight for healthcare, and the other items you mentioned – but let me ask you: Why, as this is going on, why is the House not in session?"

Reporting on the Mirror – CBS NEWS

  • It almost seems like their answer was, "No comment."

We continue to get reports from inside CBS News about the changeover taking place, with Bari Weiss taking over the role of Editor-in-Chief of the news division. She recently angered many on the staff with an email she sent asking them to explain their job duties.

In a similar fashion – and one surely some on the team were offended by – she was addressing the "60 Minutes" crew, and she asked them why it was that the public regards the show as biased. Ben Mullin of The New York Times describes this as a "provocative" question, one that left the team stunned.

This begins to expose the problems that are active within that production team.

Anti-Social Media – TIME MAGAZINE

  • Dictating how others should live is never a grand look.

In a guest editorial, the magazine brought in a millionaire to lecture about greed and having too much money. You read that correctly.

Scott Ellis, "a former McKinsey consultant and Hewlett-Packard executive" and current philanthropist, suggests that the ultra-wealthy should have their fortunes capped at $30 million. His rationale is that beyond that figure, the rich start to exert their power, via donations, PACs, and the like. Yet, he seems not to realize that if you place a limit on how much someone can accumulate, you also limit how much money they can give of their choosing. 

You know, the likes of Scott Ellis, who would see his donations wither because he needs to operate under his self-imposed cap.