As U.S. President Donald Trump's planned military parade to celebrate his birthday approached in June 2025, rumors circulated on social media that an heiress to the Walmart retail fortune, Christy Walton, paid for a full-page, anti-Trump advertisement in a newspaper.
Christy Walton is a billionaire with a net worth of $19.3 billion, as of June 2025, according to Forbes, widow of John T. Walton, the son of Walmart founder Sam Walton.
Users shared an image of the purported ad, featuring the Statue of Liberty and some text advertising a protest on June 14, 2025, on social media. The claim circulated widely on X (archived, archived, archived), Threads (archived), Facebook (archived) and Instagram (archived).
Users sharing the claim included U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna from Florida, who said, "the Walmart dynasty is big mad about China Tariffs."
The alleged ad read:
No Kings
June 14
Mobilize
We are a people of principle and honor.
We honor our commitments and stand by our allies.
We defend against aggression by dictators.
We uphold and defend the Constitution.
We care for veterans and children.
We respect our neighbors and trading partners.
We support a healthy national and international economy, community, and environment.
We are the world leader trusted to uphold the stability of rule of law.
We are the people of the United States of America. The honor, dignity, and integrity of our country are not for sale.
Our government is of the people, by the people, and for the people.
The bottom of the advertisement depicted a QR code leading to the No Kings website, along with the words "paid for by Christy Walton" and "the views represented here are solely those of Christy Walton."
‼️ INSANE: Newspaper ad Paid for by Christy Walton. Walmart heiress. pic.twitter.com/VZHtScXPn5
— David J Harris Jr (@DavidJHarrisJr) June 10, 2025
The claim is true. The ad ran in the Sunday, June 8, 2025, edition of The New York Times and can be seen on Page 9 of the paper, including the digital edition in addition to other papers nationwide. A spokesperson for the billionaire also confirmed to Snopes via telephone that Walton paid for the ad but has no official connection to the organizers behind the No Kings protest.
The No Kings day of protest is described on its website as "a nationwide day of defiance" scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 14, 2025, which is flag day, Trump's 79th birthday and the date of the president's planned military parade.
The No Kings website declared, "From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we're taking action to reject authoritarianism — and show the world what democracy really looks like. We're not gathering to feed his ego. We're building a movement that leaves him behind."
While Walton inherited a 1.9% stake in Walmart following her husband's 2005 death, according to Forbes, a spokesperson for Walmart told Snopes via email that Walton has no involvement in the business.
Walmart's full statement to Snopes read:
We condemn violence, including when it's directed towards law enforcement, and the damaging of property. As a company with associates and customers in the Los Angeles region, we remain focused on their safety and that of impacted communities. The advertisements from Christy Walton are in no way connected to or endorsed by Walmart. She does not serve on the board or play any role in decision making at Walmart.
Though Walmart's statement addresses violence at protests, it's important to note that nothing in the advertisement called for violence of any kind and did not directly address the ongoing protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles. Further, No Kings calls "nonviolent action" a "core principle" of their events.
Its website's "about" page stated, "We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events."
Walton is a noted philanthropist and a review of her political contributions listed on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) database shows hefty donations to organizations like Planned Parenthood and The Lincoln Project, as well as former Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign for president.
In September 2024, Bloomberg reported Walton co-hosted a fundraiser for Harris in Wyoming, where she lives. Further, the outlet wrote Walton was "one of the prominent Democratic donors who urged President Joe Biden to exit the race after his calamitous debate performance against Republican rival Donald Trump."
Snopes reached out to the No Kings organizers and will update this article if we receive a response.