No Kings attendees defy nonpartisan rules in Virginia

Attendees call for Democratic victories

Some attendees at an official No Kings protest in Alexandria, Virginia, urged voters to elect Democrats, breaking with national organizers’ instructions that events remain nonpartisan.

At the Oct. 17, 2026, event, Nayely Cruz Hernandez, 26, told Fox News that voters should “vote blue” and said Democrats needed to win the House and Senate. She acknowledged the organizers’ nonpartisan requirement but rejected it. Hernandez also called for support for Rep. Don Beyer, a Democrat whose district includes Alexandria and Arlington.

Other demonstrators displayed messages directed at President Donald Trump. One person carried a “TRUMP MUST GO NOW!” sign associated with Refuse Fascism, while another held an inflatable balloon depicting Trump as a baby. A separate sign read “86 47,” a phrase previously posted online by former FBI Director James Comey.

Organizers maintain events are nonpartisan

No Kings’ written instructions barred participants from calling on people to “vote blue,” elect Democrats, endorse candidates or target individuals. The national rules were intended to keep officially organized events within federal requirements governing the nonprofit groups supporting the protests.

Eunic Epstein-Ortiz, a national spokesperson for No Kings, described the campaign as a nonpartisan and peaceful movement focused on democracy, freedoms and opposition to authoritarianism. She said some partisan events using the No Kings name were not affiliated with or officially organized by the national campaign.

The Alexandria remarks create a distinction between the national organization’s stated rules and the conduct of individual participants at an official event.