Elon Musk reignited political and cultural tensions over the weekend with a cryptic social media post that quickly went viral, as widespread "No Kings" protests unfolded across the United States to denounce President Donald Trump. The message, shared on his platform X, read, "No gods or kings, only man," a phrase borrowed from the dystopian video game BioShock.
"Anyone else think of this yesterday?" Musk wrote in the caption of his post late Sunday night. The timing closely followed a national wave of protests on Saturday, June 15-Flag Day and Trump's birthday-which coincided with the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. The demonstrations, known as the "No Kings" protests, targeted what critics described as Trump's increasingly authoritarian posture and celebrated democratic resistance.
The phrase Musk used originates from BioShock, in which a character named Andrew Ryan founds an underwater city called Rapture, rejecting all traditional forms of authority and proclaiming the supremacy of individualism. The imagery Musk shared included Ryan's bust and the game's now-iconic golden inscription: "No Gods or Kings. Only Man."
Shortly after his initial post, Musk shared a video of a SpaceX Starship flight test, again using the same phrase as its caption, deepening speculation about his intent. Some interpreted it as a celebration of human innovation, particularly in the context of Musk's space and AI ventures. Others viewed it as a political signal-either echoing the protesters' sentiment or subtly criticizing them.
The ambiguity is characteristic of Musk, who has a history of veiled political commentary. Last month, after denouncing Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," Musk even called for the president's impeachment. More recently, however, he has softened his tone, sharing Trump's Truth Social posts and retweeting Vice President JD Vance.
The protests themselves were largely peaceful, though incidents of violence were reported, including a vehicular assault in Virginia and a shooting in Utah. In Fort Lauderdale, congressional candidate Lily Tang Williams posted, "It is peaceful so far, police officers are present, traffic is slow. I heard Miami might have bigger one."
Los Angeles saw tens of thousands take to the streets. Mayor Karen Bass wrote, "30,000 people showed up across our city to exercise their constitutional right to peaceful protest today-that's powerful."
Despite the protests, Trump did not directly comment on the demonstrations. One user on X commented under a post showing a military parade with, "waste of millions," referencing the pageantry in Washington, D.C.
The San Diego Police Department praised its citizens for their conduct: "No arrests, and no incidents," the agency wrote.
