Sh*t Richard Says

...No Kings, No Clowns: Notes from a Capitol Protest

Are you a newcomer to this column? My husband, Richard Gilbert, takes the helm here on occasion. This is one of those moments. Julie Gammack

Memo to Iowa Republicans running in 2026: If Donald Trump offers to campaign for you, smile politely and show him a map to Nebraska. Iowans, it seems, are running low on patience—and popcorn—for his endless circus act.

Yes, Iowa is a deep red state on paper. But this past Saturday, it blushed a little purple when thousands of Iowans surrounded the State Capitol in Des Moines to protest Trump in general and his continued assault on the Constitution in particular.

The event, dubbed the “No Kings” Rally, drew a peaceful, energized crowd that packed the Capitol grounds like the Grand Concourse at the Iowa State Fair. The only thing missing was pork on a stick. It was 88 degrees, no breeze, just a thick slice of Iowa summer. Still, Iowans of all ages showed up—sweating, smiling, signing.

Trump wasn’t in town (he was back in Washington, prepping for a multi-million-dollar birthday parade), but he was on nearly everyone’s mind. In lieu of Hallmark cards, attendees brought hundreds of handmade signs—many featuring the F-word, used mostly as a verb. Iowa Nice with an edge.

We arrived in Julie’s VW Beetle—an ideal protest vehicle. Nimble enough to wedge into a rare downtown parking spot, and seasoned in the art of demonstration. Julie, a longtime political junkie, was joined by me, her husband, and our non-verbal, four-legged companion, Dudley.

And what a day it was. No tear gas. Virtually no police presence. No National Guard troops either—despite our governor’s well-documented enthusiasm for deploying them like party favors to please the President.

She probably skipped the protest.

The lawn was starting to crack from the heat, but the message was clear and resounding: We want to save our democracy.

I asked folks why they came, and that was the common refrain. Not policy. Not partisanship. Just the big idea that somehow, some way, this country is supposed to belong to all of us—not just one man with a gold-plated toilet and a flair for autocracy.

Julie was surprised by the turnout—thousands, easily—and even more impressed by the thoughtfulness behind the signs. She snapped photos. I kept Dudley reined in.

The Only Monarchs We Need Are Butterflies

Now, Dudley may not speak, but he has strong opinions. And he expressed them in a very visceral way—by dropping a generous, steaming review of the current administration directly on the Capitol lawn. I cleaned it up with the ever-ready poop bag, of course. But I must admit, his timing was impeccable.

I told Julie that despite my years in politics, I’d never actually attended a protest at the Capitol before. The only close call was back in March 1971, when angry farmers swarmed the steps to protest President Nixon. Say what you will about Tricky Dick—at least he didn’t throw himself birthday parades or try to crown himself King. He had the good sense to resign when caught in a lie.

It was a good day. A hopeful day. Hot as blazes, yes—but full of energy, resolve, and an Iowa-grown reminder: we’ve been through worse, and we show up when it counts.

No Kings Demonstration at the Iowa State Capitol

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Statewide candidates are starting to emerge, while courts, education, and healthcare are under attack