The Myth of a Purely Grassroots Revolution
The “No Kings” movement—marketed as a spontaneous, people-powered uprising against authoritarianism—has captured headlines nationwide. Organizers like Indivisible insist it’s fueled by small donors and civic-minded volunteers. The branding is clever: an anti-elite movement for the people that just happens to have millions in strategic funding, high-end advertising, and polished messaging that rivals a presidential campaign.
But behind the handmade protest signs and the rhetoric of democracy stands a familiar cast of wealthy backers and dark-money networks bankrolling the logistics. What’s portrayed as a grassroots wave is, in reality, a professionally orchestrated mobilization—one that raises questions about who’s really calling the shots.
Following the Money
Financial disclosures and investigative reports show that the No Kings network is powered not by $5 donations but by multimillion-dollar infusions from elite donors and progressive foundations. Between 2017 and 2025, roughly $294 million has been traced to affiliated organizations—enough to make any genuine grassroots organizer blush.
George Soros’ Open Society Foundations alone has poured at least $7.6 million into Indivisible, the central organizer behind No Kings, with grants earmarked for “advocacy” and “social welfare.” His broader funding across the same ecosystem—via the Arabella and Tides networks—tops $70 million.
The Tides Foundation, a notorious “dark money” hub that allows donors to hide behind fiscal sponsorships, has routed about $3 million directly to Indivisible and tens of millions more to allied groups like 350.org and MoveOn.
The Arabella Advisors network—managing nonprofits such as the Sixteen Thirty Fund and New Venture Fund—has quietly funneled over $114 million between 2019 and 2023 to groups tied to No Kings’ operations.
Even billionaire heirs like Christy Walton have joined the fray, spending six figures on full-page ads in The New York Times to promote “No Kings Day.”
And then there’s Hansjörg Wyss, the Swiss billionaire whose Berger Action Fund has steered hundreds of millions into the same orbit of “democracy protection” nonprofits that just happen to target conservative candidates.
A Movement of the People—or for the Donors?
To the average protester marching in the streets, “No Kings” likely feels like a noble stand for democracy. But when the same handful of billionaire-funded networks bankroll multiple progressive causes—from climate campaigns to anti-Israel protests to anti-Trump rallies—it becomes clear this isn’t grassroots democracy. It’s top-down political engineering.
Critics on the right, including Sen. Ted Cruz and Speaker Mike Johnson, have dubbed the movement a “Hate America Rally,” arguing that its central aim isn’t civic reform but permanent political dominance. While organizers dismiss that as fearmongering, the scale and sophistication of No Kings’ operations suggest something more than neighborhood activism.
Even The Atlantic, hardly a right-wing publication, has called Arabella Advisors the “heavyweight of Democratic dark money.” When the same consulting firm manages hundreds of millions in anonymous donations to “independent” nonprofits, transparency takes a backseat to agenda.
The Bipartisan Disease of Dark Money
It’s important to note that opaque funding is not a uniquely progressive phenomenon. The right has its own donor-advised empires—from the Koch network to fossil fuel PACs—that shape the policy landscape without public scrutiny. The problem is systemic: Washington runs on hidden influence, not open debate.
But the difference lies in presentation. Conservatives rarely pretend their operations are grassroots revolutions. The No Kings movement, by contrast, insists it’s “by the people” while running on the same corporate-grade money pipelines it claims to oppose. That contradiction undercuts the moral high ground.
The Bigger Picture: Manufactured Consent
Movements like No Kings represent a new era of “managed activism,” where billionaires use their wealth to steer public outrage toward politically convenient ends. The result isn’t democracy; it’s curated dissent—a controlled burn that looks like revolution but ensures the same elites remain in charge.
If America truly wants to rid itself of “kings,” it should start with the unelected ones who hide behind 501(c)(4) tax shelters and donor-advised funds.
Because in a nation where billionaires bankroll both the left and the right, “No Kings” begins to sound less like a rallying cry—and more like a marketing slogan.
Discover more from RIPTIDE
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
