Fox News veteran Brit Hume tried to play the gotcha game this weekend. It did not go well.
In response to nationwide “No Kings” protests—massive rallies sparked by mounting fears of Donald Trump’s increasingly authoritarian rhetoric—Hume hopped on social media to drop what he must’ve thought was a mic-drop moment.
“These protests are mostly just a protest against a man who sought power 3 times through democratic elections and enacted his major agenda item by majority vote of democratically elected members of Congress,” he posted, brushing off the massive public demonstrations with a side of smug. Then came the snide closer: “Some king.”
The backlash was instant and merciless. Former GOP congressman and longtime Trump critic Adam Kinzinger fired back with a stinging reality check.
“Come on. You know what this means,” Kinzinger replied. “Of course he’s not a literal king because we won’t let him be. But our nation was founded on anti-corruption, disseminating power to the people, holding all equal under the law.”
Then he really got into it: “Trump tried to overthrow a free election, pardoned 1000 criminals, and has placed congress on their knees. Oh not to mention the Epstein files, and his 400 million dollar free jet that we will pay 1 billion to upgrade and give to him.”
He didn’t stop there. “Gold palaces and ballrooms and massive arches are not the works of someone who seeks humble power,” Kinzinger added.
The internet ran with it.
Thousands of replies poured in calling Hume’s take “horsesh*t,” “gaslighting,” and just plain “embarrassing.” One user dubbed Hume a “pathetic clown,” while others pointed out that dismissing concerns about authoritarianism just because Trump uses a ballot box is either deeply naïve or deliberately dishonest.
Many users reminded Hume of Trump’s endless efforts to subvert democratic institutions, from trying to overturn an election he lost, to dangling pardons for allies, to outright fantasizing about staying in power indefinitely.
Another commenter wrote: “No one thinks he’s Louis XIV, Brit. They think he’s a corrupt wannabe strongman with gold toilets. Which, reminder, is not normal.”
Critics also highlighted Hume’s long record of playing defense for Trump under the Fox News banner, arguing that his latest post was just another example of the network’s effort to normalize authoritarian behavior as long as it wears a flag pin.
The “No Kings” movement isn’t about crowns and thrones. It’s about the fundamental American idea that no one—president or otherwise—is above the law. It’s a protest against creeping dictatorship, not monarchy cosplay.
Catch the screenshots of Hume’s take — and the internet’s savage responses — below.
