Credit: Chris Allen, BVN

Overview: Millions of Americans protested against the Trump administration’s authoritarian drift under the “No Kings” theme, including a massive turnout in downtown Riverside. Meanwhile, Trump celebrated his 79th birthday with a military parade in Washington D.C. to project virility, while a nationwide manhunt continued for a suspect in the politically motivated assassinations of two Minnesota state lawmakers. In other news, California gubernatorial candidate and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is often compared to Trump, used an In-N-Out location in Oakland as a campaign gimmick to raise awareness about crime, despite the location having closed over a year ago.

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S.E. Williams

This weekend, millions gathered around the nation under the theme of “No Kings” in America—another all out effort by citizens to emphasize and protest against the nation’s rapid drift toward authoritarianism.

Inland Empire residents participated in protests in great numbers across the region  in support of this effort including a massive turnout in downtown Riverside where thousands raised their voices in solidarity against the actions of the Trump administration. 

Riverside county “No Kings” protesters were met by a contingent of sheriff deputies on Saturday, June 15, 2025. Protests in downtown Riverside and across the region were largely peaceful. (Photo courtesy: Todd Kutnar)

While citizens gathered in protests across the country, in true narcissistic fashion the Trumpster was too busy celebrating himself to notice. Afterall, it was his birthday, and to honor himself he threw a big parade at the taxpayers’ expense. He disguised it as a tribute to the military due to the unfortunate coincidence of the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary happening to fall on his 79th birthday. So, in true, “strong man wannabe,” fashion,  he ordered up about seven thousand soldiers, hundreds of military vehicles and dozens of aircraft in a failed attempt to project the kind of strong man virility he is unable to manifest on his own. 

Washington D.C. skies were as gray as the overall mood of the nation on Sunday, June 15, as Donald J. Trump wrapped himself in a cloak of military might in an effort to bolster his strong man image at home and abroad. (source: youtube)

On Saturday, the country’s attention was also anxiously focused on a nationwide manhunt for a suspect in the Friday morning politically motivated assassinations of Minnesota state lawmaker, Melissa Hortman and her husband in their home and the attempted assasination attempts on another Minnesota lawmaker, Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, also in their home. 

“If a candidate is less than truthful or engages in dirty tricks in order to get elected, why should we believe that the candidate’s conduct will miraculously change upon taking the oath of office?”

Santa Clara University

But as Trump celebrated, the army paraded, communities protested, and a nationwide manhunt persisted, Trump’s mini-me, Fox News’ favorite son, Republican California gubernatorial candidate, Riverside County Sheriff  and now, In-N-Out Burgers’ fiercest protector and advocate, Chad Bianco, was busy giving his best Trump impersonation in front of an In-N-Out location in Oakland. He did so under the guise of raising awareness about crime, but we all know it was a campaign gimmick at the expense of Riverside County taxpayers.

The most disingenuous aspect of this campaign gimmick is that the Oakland In-N-Out facility actually closed well over a year ago and yet, Bianco is trying to leverage it as a current event. Meanwhile, he left the county on autopilot as he pursued this latest political folly. 

Of course this is just my opinion. I’m keeping it real.

Stephanie Williams is executive editor of the IE Voice and Black Voice News. A longtime champion for civil rights and justice in all its forms, she is also an advocate for government transparency and committed to ferreting out and exposing government corruption. Stephanie has received awards for her investigative reporting and for her weekly column, Keeping it Real. Contact Stephanie with tips, comments. or concerns at myopinion@ievoice.com.