• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, Yesterday

With a full-page ad in The New York Times urging Americans to protest President Donald Trump in the upcoming “No Kings Day” protests, billionaire Christy Walton, heir to some $19 billion of Walmart founder's family fortune, is putting the world’s biggest retailer back in the political crosshairs.

Walton’s “No Kings Day” ad urges people to mobilize for the June 14 “No Kings Day” protests, saying, “We defend against aggression by dictators. We uphold and defend the Constitution... The honor, dignity, and integrity of our country are not for sale.”

Walmart said that Walton has no connection to the company. “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," the company said in a statement to Marketing  Daily.

Walton is the widow of John T. Walton, son of Walmart founder Sam Walton, and inherited a stake in the company.

While the ad itself doesn’t mention Trump by name, it includes a QR code, directing readers to a No Kings site, allowing them to sign up for protest training and find local protests scheduled for June 14, which is both Flag Day and Trump’s 79^th birthday.

“The flag doesn’t belong to President Trump,” it says. “It belongs to us.”

Kari Lake, special advisor to the United States Agency for Global Media, responded quickly on X, posting a picture of the ad with the line: “Do you shop at Walmart?” provoking multiple comments from outraged Trump supporters, many calling for boycotts.

And while the “No Kings” movement is committed to nonviolence, Walmart's statement also took the opportunity to “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.”

While Walton’s ad doesn’t mention Walmart, it does touch on trade: “We respect our neighbors and trading partners. We support a healthy national and international economy, community and environment.”

Walmart has already drawn fire from the White House for comments from the CEO that tariffs from the ongoing trade war will force the retailer to raise prices, passing the cost of tariffs on to consumers.

Trump responded by saying Walmart makes so much money that it should “eat the tariffs.”

Meanwhile, Politico reports that Walmart CEO John Furner was scheduled to address the weekly Republican Study Committee lunch on Wednesday, the conservative GOP bloc. That came just hours after Trump announced a tentative trade deal with China, lowering tariffs on Chinese imports to 55%.