Nearly 7 million people in over 2,600 cities across the United States assembled on Oct. 18 to peacefully protest President Donald Trump’s authoritarian actions. The criticism from Trump and the Republican party shows their elitist disconnect from the needs of Americans, ultimately exemplifying how they’ve skewed the pillars of democracy.
Dressed in various costumes and holding up signs demanding for restored democracy, Americans in rural to urban communities proudly marched against Trump’s extension of presidential power – dividing Americans, implementing national policing and favoring the richest. These were the second wave of No Kings protests since June of this year, reaching an even higher turnout.
In an interview, Trump told the AP that these protests were small and very ineffective, with little turnout. He later took to TruthSocial to ridicule the protests with an AI video of him dropping sewage onto protesters while riding in a “KING TRUMP” jet plane. Vice President JD Vance followed this by posting a video on Bluesky depicting liberal politicians bowing down to Trump dressed as a king.
These posts are juvenile and entirely ignore the rhetoric that was being pushed by protesters, as Trump’s response enabled Republicans’ belief that he could never do wrong and those with differing views are radicals. Denying the messages from protesters is frightening for Americans, and Trump is straying further from fundamental duties of a president — the most important being to listen to Americans’ needs.
Other Republicans have insisted that democrats have become unified because of their hate for Trump, and therefore their hate for America. Making this generalization only deepens the polarization across party lines further. Instead, politicians need to focus on the direction that our democracy is heading in, rather than the beliefs that divide Americans.
Republican and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson claimed that No Kings protests were made of “the modern Democratic Party.” Minnesota representative Tom Emmer said that the “terrorist” wing of the Democratic Party led these protests. Virginia and Texas’s governors even threatened to call in the National Guard in efforts to intimidate protestors.
Fox News contains articles that push the narrative that Democrats are communists, violent and deranged. This narrative proves Republicans’ loyalty to Trump, as they are not willing to face Trump’s breach of power even on a large scale, like these nationwide protests.
Calling protesters extremists is a distorted, far-fetched claim. Passion and sincerity for the future of America fueled the motivation of No Kings protesters, far from the anger and hatred that fueled those who stormed the capital in January of 2021.
Republican leaders must recognize that Americans are not asking for a complete shift in power or policy changes. In this case, protesters were pleading for the government to return to normalcy — without oligarchy, illegal firings and unconstitutional expansion of presidential power.
Historically, peaceful protests have created monumental change for the United States’ future. As a First Amendment right, our government should understand that protesting indicates that the government must make a change to satisfy the needs of the people instead of dismissing these efforts with mockery.
Research and history have proven that when over 3.5% of a population protests the government, it is nearly impossible for the government to ignore citizens’ pleas. The No Kings protests were only five million people away from meeting 3.5% of the US population, and turnout rose by two million people since the last No Kings protests in June.
As the government increasingly turns towards authoritarian values, Trump’s use of force will attempt to scare the public from using their voices. However, Americans cannot cease. Instead, they must understand that civil disobedience is a First Amendment right that they have the freedom to exercise.
If the 3.5% threshold is met in the future, Americans could successfully see a change in Trump’s execution of executive power to better address the needs of Americans.
Until Americans see a change, Trump cannot dismiss Americans’ messages being vocalized in nationwide protests. Republicans across the nation must put their criticisms aside and reflect on the messages that these protests demanded of the government.
This article was written by Bella Gruber. She can be reached at [email protected].
