On the Ground at “No Kings Day”

Authors: Allie Adajar (President), Faith Spalding (Editor-in-Chief)

The “No Kings Day” protests in San Francisco captured more than partisan anger; they exposed the everyday toll on America’s middle class, as ordinary citizens are left to shoulder rising costs and deepening uncertainty.

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On a sunny San Francisco afternoon, the crowds at “No Kings Day” gathered not just to chant, but to vent their deeper frustrations with volatile trade policies, rising prices, and an economy that feels increasingly out of touch. Beneath the catchy slogans and upbeat street music was an unmistakable sense of fear and fatigue, from small business owners scrambling under new tariffs to retirees struggling to stretch their savings. Official reports assure “resilience,” but on the ground, these words sound more like rhetoric than reality. “No Kings Day” in San Francisco was not merely a protest; it was an inflection point for the middle class at the crossroads of uncertainty and exhaustion. We interviewed participants in the streets of San Francisco, gleaning their takes on the Trump Administration’s fiscal policies. This is what they had to say.

Inflation Fears

Inflation is making daily headlines as the uninvited guest who refuses to leave. Across the United States, households continue to feel squeezed by the rising costs, particularly for essentials like food and key services. The all-food consumer price index (CPI) rose 23.6% from 2020 to 2024, which outpaces the all-items CPI growth of 21.2% for that same period. As for services, there have been decreases in spending on insurance, financial services, and transportation services, indicating that households are pulling back on discretionary spending. 

The practical impact is as clear as day: for a middle-income household or someone living on a fixed income, the higher grocery bills, utility costs, and service prices creates real pressure. Many Americans we interviewed at the “No Kings” protest opened up about how recent policies have translated into real-world burdens. We spoke with Chris, a retiree in her seventies, who expressed her concerns, emphasizing, “Prices are higher and higher everyday.” 

Although government messaging assures that inflation is under control, the reality on the ground is that essential sectors are faced with price volatility. Chris has a somewhat-fixed income — reliant on stocks — and a 401K. Households like Chris’s that are dependent on fixed income, such as social security and retirement accounts, are especially vulnerable when markets get volatile or inflation spikes. 

Meanwhile, mounting federal budget pressures put Social Security and other social programs in peril. As of 2024, Social Security alone represents about 22% of the total federal budget. In its current state, retirement benefits may be slashed by 23% by 2033. The program faces a projected shortfall of $3.6 trillion, which is roughly 0.9% of GDP. Without action, Social Security is set to detriment broader fiscal stability in the U.S. Combined with rising interest and slower revenue growth, the perpetually rising strain on mandatory spending puts the U.S. economy under stress from fiscal imbalances.

The concern is two-fold: can these people maintain their living standards? What happens if costs continue to rise or investment cushions shrink? This lethal combination elevates inflation from a nuisance to a risk multiplier, particularly for older and income-sensitive households. For Chris, attending the No Kings protest wasn’t just a political act, it was a chance for her to voice her economic anxiety as well.

The Ripple Effects of President Trump’s Tariffs

Tariffs and trade policies are sending tremors through retail and manufacturing. Approximately 69% of U.S. goods imports (amassing to around $2.2 trillion) are now subject to tariffs. When import costs climb like this, businesses respond by freezing hiring and expansion. Under all imposed tariffs starting on November 1, the average tariff rate will be a whopping 12.2%, which is the highest average rate since 1941. These changes are not just adding costs — they are reshaping employment decisions, supply chains, and overall business planning. 

We spoke with Ginger and Tony, an older couple working in small manufacturing: “These methods have been tried before and they do not work. The economy is tanking. We are just slaves to this regime.” Ravi, a tax attorney, explained, “I see tariffs impacting everyone with slowed hiring and unemployment rising.” Their frustration reflects a broader malaise: all around the No Kings protest, the critique of economic governance rose louder above many other complaints. When businesses are anticipating higher costs and uncertain horizons, growth stalls, and the job market feels the impact. 

In fact, recent data indicates that manufacturing employment has seen a 42,000 job decline since April 2025, revealing a clear hiring freeze in this sector. Overall, economists warn us President Trump’s tariff expansion is heavily weakening consumer confidence and reducing business investment, with GDP growth projections down to a mere 1.5% for 2025. Signs clearly point to the fact that the broader American economy is starting to feel strain across virtually every sector. 
Ginger and Tony stated, “These policies are funneling the money up to the billionaires.” For instance, George Zoley, founder of the nation’s biggest private prison and immigrant detention company Geo Group, called President Trump’s policies an “unprecedented opportunity” for the company to double its services. Zoley was correct, as Geo Group has doubled its stock value since President Trump’s recent election. President Trump’s decisions are stacked high in favor of the big players, forcing smaller firms to deal with the consequences.

Clean Energy on the Edge

Energy is a chief concern for many demonstrators. Chris believes that a lack of sustainable energy programs is going to “hit the economy hard.”  The White House has made aggressive rollbacks of programs supporting sustainable and renewable energy solutions. Earlier this month, the Trump Administration cancelled $7.6 billion in grants supporting renewable energy solutions in 16 blue-voting states. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, the cuts will affect the infrastructure of battery plants and halt progress on hydrogen technology programs, upgrades to the electric grid and carbon-capture projects. 

This also comes as environmental protections are on the chopping block. January’s Executive Order entitled “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing” indirectly targets the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by ordering staff and funding cuts and rollbacks of environmental justice initiatives. In an additional hit to the agency, with the government shutdown still in motion, the EPA furloughed around 4,000 employees early last week. “Green” initiatives are being gutted, hindering the growth of climate-friendly and cost-reducing energy solutions, like solar and wind power. Chris asserts that “fossil fuel companies want a “monopoly”, leaving no room for clean energy to have a substantial impact. 

While gas costs have decreased, monthly energy bills continue to hit consumers where it hurts. According to the American Gas Association, spending on gas utilities rose 50% from 2022 to 2023, amounting to $49.1 billion. Colossal increases in funding to build pipelines and improve facilities have driven up the price for energy consumers, resulting in higher record-high gas utility rates. Moreover, gas exports could push prices higher. 

The Bay Area as a Microcosm

Many of our interviewees lived locally, spotlighting concerns in Berkeley and the East Bay about the impacts of the Trump economy. Around the country, small businesses are facing tighter margins amid a national slowdown in hiring. Chris emphasized that this is “already reflecting in Berkeley small businesses.” While August’s business report indicates that small business owners continue hiring at a modest but sustained rate, local businesses around the bay are buckling, struggling to meet the higher costs demanded by President Trump’s tariff assertions. 

San Francisco’s North Beach has been home to ceramic store Bioridi Imports for 80 years, the shop becoming a neighborhood icon. Yet the small business is reportedly in danger of closing, as the bulk of items for sale are ceramics handmade in Italy. Export costs for ceramic goods typically have a 5.6-8.5% Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) duty rate, but President Trump’s 15% reciprocal tariffs are disastrously increasing costs for the owners. Unable to absorb the effects of surging prices, Bioridi’s strife underscores the unwelcome consequences of the White House’s new era of protectionism: everyday community staples are at risk.

Here in Berkeley, the pain is similar. After 24 years in operation, local grocery store The Spanish Table announced it was permanently closing in August. According to the SF Chronicle, owner Bastian Schoell’s prices rose by almost 35%, the result of heightened tariffs coupled with a weakening dollar against the euro. This is just another example of a beloved daily destination forced to close its doors as a result of tariff turbulence wrought by the White House. Clearly, Chris’s sentiments are fairly placed. Local businesses aren’t just struggling, they’re actively dying out.

A data report released at the end of last month by The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) highlights that the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index dropped 2.0 points in September to 98.8, while the Uncertainty Index increased seven points from August to 100. In such a hazy environment, the numbers are clear: confidence is waning throughout most sectors, and the dominance of uncertainty complicates goals for growth. Decreased confidence may be followed with decreased output, and small businesses aren’t avoiding the heat.

Waning Consumer Sentiment

US consumers are unhappy, whether they’re demonstrating or not. According to the University of Michigan, consumer sentiment in September fell to 55.1 percentage points, the seventh-lowest figure in record since 1952. Burdened with ongoing inflation fears, nearly untenable grocery and energy prices, and a flailing labor market, the average American consumer is aggravated by this year’s continued economic turbulence. Figures released in August from Pew Research reveal 61% of Americans disapprove of President Trump’s tariff strategy. Further trends from the Public Religion Research institute note 65% of Americans believe the economy and the function of the federal government is headed down the wrong path, while 57% of respondents were concerned about the administration’s massive immigration crackdown. 

At September’s Federal Reserve Board Meeting, Chairman Jerome Powell suggested that the weak labor market was related to immigration, noting, “The supply of workers has come way down…There’s very little growth if any in the supply of workers, and at the same time demand for workers has also come down quite sharply.” Although the October Jobs Report is currently delayed due to the government shutdown, Powell quipped this month it was “kind of remarkable” that the unemployment rate has barely moved since August, sitting at 4.3%. The overarching concern however, is that supply-and-demand have “come down so sharply, so quickly.”

 Major industries like agriculture, hospitality, and construction rely on immigrant labor. But with the number of deportations steadily rising, these high-impact industries are taking hits. With Americans unwilling to fill the jobs of those deported, food shortages are becoming a potential risk. Foreign workers are also affected; the current administration’s shock-announcement instituting a one-time fee for new H1-B visa applicants will likely worsen the staggering labor market. A July report from researchers at the American Enterprise Institute found that loss of foreign workers will mean that monthly national job growth “could be near zero or negative in the next few years.”

The data reflects sentiment on the ground. Our interview with Vanessa, local to the East Bay, explained, “I have concerns for people that are on food stamps…about childcare because people that are [Hispanic] are not sending their kids to school.” Federal programs like SNAP are set to expire if not renewed by the deadline, putting millions of Americans at further risk of hunger. And tragically, the aggressive and at times, unlawful force displayed by ICE amid the immigration crackdown is affecting hundreds of thousands of lives. The Trump Administration aims to deport nearly 1 million undocumented individuals by the end of the year, a massive quota. 

But the methods conducted by ICE and Homeland Security are beyond alarming; Vanessa exclaimed, “It hurts my heart to see people being pulled off the street.” In broad daylight, US citizens are being threatened with intimidation and force, documenting racial profiling by ICE officers. There are numerous reports of detainees denied due process and proper legal representation, while additional operations have begun deporting people to countries like South Sudan, despite deportees not being citizens of these countries. Many of these situations operate outside of the bounds of legality, and despite efforts from many judges to reverse unlawful detention or proceedings, the caseload is enormous and the Justice Department remains deeply polarized.

For patrons like Vanessa, the outlook is tragic. Consumer sentiment is driven by sentiment itself, and when an exhausted populace is faced with continuous economic onslaught, tensions increase. And with livelihoods at stake, uncertainty morphs into doom.

Conclusion

By the end of “No Kings Day,” it was unmistakable that the advocacy on display was not rooted in partisanship, but in survival. Inflation, tariffs, and shrinking access to opportunity have come together in the perfect storm of economic unease that cuts across age and income. San Franciscans like Chris, Ginger, Tony, Ravi, and Vanessa were not out on those streets to merely protest policies; they were publicly mourning the erosion of stability that was once central to American life. Their worries mirror a larger national mood in which optimism is being swiftly replaced by exhaustion and confidence in economic leadership is slipping fast. As the chants were carried throughout the streets for hours on end, the takeaway was clear: the economy has stopped working for the very people that it is meant to serve.