Standing Up for Democracy: Protests Against Trump's Leadership

People are planning to gather in Washington D. C. and across the U. S. for "No Kings" rallies to voice their concerns about the direction of the country under President Donald Trump. This is the third major protest since Trump's return to the White House, and it's expected to be the biggest yet. The protests come at a time when the government is shut down, and there's a lot of tension between the executive branch, Congress, and the courts. Trump is not in Washington right now. He's at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida. In a recent interview, he said, "They say they're referring to me as a king. I'm not a king. " Meanwhile, protests are expected to happen near his home on Saturday. Earlier protests this year were against Elon Musk's cuts and Trump's military parade. But organizers say this protest is different. It's bringing together a more unified opposition movement. Top Democrats like Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders are joining in. They're standing against Trump's actions, like limiting free speech and using military-style tactics for immigration raids. Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, one of the key organizers, said, "There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people-power. " Republicans and the White House are dismissing the protests as a rally of radicals. But Levin says their own sign-up numbers are growing. More than 2, 600 rallies are planned in cities big and small, organized by hundreds of coalition partners. They say rallies are being planned within a one-hour drive for most Americans. Republicans are trying to paint the protesters as far outside the mainstream of American politics. They say the protesters are the main reason for the government shutdown, which is now in its 18th day. From the White House to Capitol Hill, GOP leaders have called the rallygoers "communists" and "Marxists. " They say Democratic leaders, including Schumer, are beholden to the far-left flank and willing to keep the government shut down to appease those liberal forces. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. , said, "I encourage you to watch — we call it the Hate America rally — that will happen Saturday. " He listed off groups including "antifa types, " people who "hate capitalism" and "Marxists in full display. " Democrats have refused to vote on legislation that would reopen the government. They're demanding funding for health care. Republicans say they're willing to discuss the issue later, only after the government reopens. But for many Democrats, the government closure is also a way to stand up to Trump. They want to push the presidency back to its place in the U. S. system as a co-equal branch of the government. In a Facebook post, Sanders of Vermont, himself a former presidential contender, said, "It's a love America rally. " He said it's a rally of millions of people all over the country who believe in the Constitution and American freedom. He pointed at the GOP leadership and said, "We are not going to let you and Donald Trump turn this country into an authoritarian society. " Things have changed a lot in just six months. Democrats and their allies were divided and unsure about how to respond to Trump's return to the White House. Schumer, in particular, was criticized by his party for allowing an earlier government funding bill to sail through the Senate without using it to challenge Trump. In April, the national march against Trump and Elon Musk had 1, 300 registered locations. In June, for the first "No Kings" day, there were 2, 100 registered locations. The march on Saturday will have more than 2, 600 registered locations, Levin said. "What we are seeing from the Democrats is some spine, " Levin said. "The worst thing the Democrats could do right now is surrender. " House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he wasn't sure if he would join the rallygoers on Saturday. But he took issue with the Republicans' characterization of the events. "What's hateful is what happened on January 6th, " he said, referring to the 2021 Capitol attack. "What you'll see this weekend is what patriotism looks like, people showing up to express opposition to the extremism that Donald Trump has been unleashing on the American people. "