Republicans are ramping up their rhetoric ahead of the nationwide “No Kings” protests scheduled for Saturday, October 18, 2025, casting the demonstrations as a threat to American values and public safety. As the country braces for what organizers and observers expect to be the largest single day of protest in modern American history, GOP leaders and right-wing influencers have unleashed a barrage of accusations against those planning to attend, painting them as extremists and even potential terrorists.
The scale of the planned protests is striking. According to figures cited by The Daily Beast, more than 2,500 demonstrations are registered to take place across the United States, surpassing the 2,100 rallies held during the previous “No Kings” event in June. That earlier protest drew more than five million Americans into the streets of small towns and major cities alike, united in opposition to what they described as President Donald Trump’s expansion of executive power.
But this time, the stakes feel even higher. The protest movement, which has been recurring since the beginning of Trump’s second term, is fueled by mounting anger over the administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, the deployment of military troops in Democratic cities, and a series of laws critics say have eroded health care and basic civil liberties. Organizers hope the event will help galvanize voters ahead of next year’s midterm elections, as grassroots groups and national organizations—including Indivisible, Public Citizen, MoveOn, the ACLU, the Human Rights Campaign, and Working Families Power—mobilize supporters for a massive show of solidarity.
Yet Republican leaders are responding with unprecedented hostility. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking at an investor event in Washington this week, derided the upcoming rally as “the farthest left, the hardest core, the most unhinged in the Democratic Party.” He went on to suggest that Democrats in Congress are deliberately delaying efforts to reopen the federal government until after the protests. “There’s a thought out there that they’re at least waiting to get this crazy ‘No Kings’ rally this weekend, which is gonna be the farthest left, the hardest-core, the most unhinged in the Democratic Party which is, you know, a big title,” Bessent told CNBC. “You know, no kings equal no paychecks.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed Bessent’s sentiments, repeatedly referring to the protests as a “Hate America rally.” During a press conference on Wednesday, Johnson declared, “Let’s see who shows up for that. I bet you see pro-Hamas supporters. I bet you see antifa types. I bet you see the Marxists in full display. The people who don’t want to stand and defend the foundational truths of this republic, and that’s what we’re here doing every single day.” Johnson has also blamed the “No Kings Day” demonstration for the ongoing government shutdown, claiming Democrats “can’t face their rabid base.”
Other Republican figures have joined the chorus. House GOP Whip Tom Emmer described the protest as a “terrorist” event and a “hate rally backed by the left.” Representative Steve Scalise and Representative Lisa McClain have also adopted the “Hate America rally” label. Senator Roger Marshall, speaking to Newsmax, suggested the National Guard might need to be deployed, adding, “Hopefully, it will be peaceful. I doubt it.”
These accusations have drawn sharp criticism from protest organizers and civil liberties advocates, who argue that Republicans are mischaracterizing the demonstrations in an attempt to criminalize dissent and justify potential law enforcement crackdowns. According to reporting from The Daily Beast, the “No Kings” protests have historically been peaceful, with attendees described as a diverse mix of professionals, families, students, and activists—many of them older, liberal Americans who oppose Trump’s policies but are far from the radical caricature painted by GOP leaders.
Hunter Dunn, a spokesperson for the organizing group 50501, told The Daily Beast, “Trump is going into American cities and declaring that they’re war zones—when they’re the ones tear-gassing peaceful protesters in Chicago or shooting rubber bullets at priests in Portland, or targeting journalists in LA. So this event is a show of solidarity. Getting millions of people around the world, and hundreds of thousands of your neighbors all together, is powerful.”
The political context surrounding the protests is tense. The Trump administration has ramped up immigration enforcement, used federal troops to quell what it describes as civil unrest or crime in Democratic-led cities, and cracked down on free speech and dissent. Bills passed in recent months have been criticized by opponents as undermining health care and other essential services. Meanwhile, President Trump has openly considered invoking the Insurrection Act to deploy the military against Americans in Democratic cities if federal courts continue to block his agenda.
Recent events have only heightened anxieties. In Chicago on Tuesday, a Border Patrol operation ended with agents crashing into a vehicle driven by a person suspected of being in the country illegally, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The incident led to angry confrontations with local residents, during which federal agents deployed tear gas. The department reported that the confrontation began when a red SUV rammed a Border Patrol vehicle before attempting to flee. Such episodes have fueled outrage among activists and reinforced calls for protest.
For the past three weeks, Republicans in Congress have been accused of refusing to negotiate with Democrats to end the government shutdown, despite claims to the contrary. Instead, GOP leaders have focused their attention on the upcoming protests, with some suggesting that Democrats are beholden to their most vocal supporters and unwilling to compromise until after the rallies have passed. Critics argue that this strategy is less about governance and more about vilifying constitutionally protected protest.
The suggestion that protesting the government is “un-American” has alarmed many observers. As The Daily Beast notes, protest is not only a historically American activity but a right enshrined in the U.S. Constitution—one that appears increasingly under threat in the current political climate. The framing of the “No Kings” protests as a menace to public order, rather than an exercise of free speech, raises concerns about the willingness of authorities to respect First Amendment rights.
Despite the heated rhetoric, organizers remain committed to nonviolence and inclusivity. The broad coalition behind Saturday’s demonstrations reflects a wide spectrum of American society, united by a desire to push back against what they see as authoritarian overreach and to defend democratic norms. As the nation watches and waits, the outcome of the “No Kings” day of protest may well shape the trajectory of political engagement—and the boundaries of dissent—in the months to come.
As Americans prepare for a pivotal weekend, the clash between protest and power underscores the enduring struggle over the meaning of patriotism, dissent, and democracy itself.
