‘No Kings’ protests planned across the country on October 18th
Nationwide “No Kings” protests are scheduled for October 18 as organizers claim responsibility for the shutdown.
The temperature of U.S. political rhetoric further rose this week after President Donald Trump’s chief spokesperson slandered Democrats for supporting terrorism, illegal immigration and violent crime.
“This interview proves that the Democratic Party’s primary constituency is made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens, and violent criminals,” White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt told Fox News on October 16.
Mr. Levitt was responding to questions about the network’s one-on-one conversation with Zoran Mamdani, the democratic socialist New York mayoral candidate who is favored to win the November election. Mamdani gave a deflected answer when asked whether Hamas should lay down its weapons as part of President Trump’s Middle East ceasefire agreement.
Mr. Levitt continued that Mr. Trump and the Republican Party are “standing up for law-abiding Americans.”
Leavitt’s comments condemned as ‘dangerous’
The comments were slammed by critics, who called the characterization threatening and said the administration was portraying opponents as dangerous ahead of this weekend’s “No Kings” protests, which are expected to draw many progressive groups and anti-Trump protesters.
“This is so dangerous that all Republicans are nodding along,” Dan Pfeiffer, co-host of the podcast “Pod Save America” and former communications director for President Barack Obama, said in an Oct. 16 post on X.
Rep. Greg Cassar, D-Texas, echoed X after saying that Levitt should resign, saying the Trump administration is “trying to make us hate each other to distract from the fact that it’s blinding us all. It’s horrible.”
“Most Republicans are good people. Most Democrats are good people,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a 2024 vice presidential candidate, said in an Oct. 15 post on the X show. “The White House is saying outrageous things to make you hate your neighbors. Your neighbors aren’t the problem. The White House is the problem.”
The clash over Mr. Levitt’s comments is the latest in a series of exchanges of concerns that sharp words can incite political violence. The incident comes just a month after Republicans criticized the rhetoric of Democrats and their allies in the wake of the assassination of activist Charlie Kirk, and about a week after Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones came under fire for an alarming text message that made fun of the shooting of the state’s Republican leader.
“Let me be clear: I’m embarrassed. I’m embarrassed. And I’m sorry,” Jones said of the text during an Oct. 16 debate at the University of Richmond.
Republicans call weekend protests ‘Hate America’ rallies
The White House press secretary’s words also come at a time when Americans are increasingly pessimistic about the country’s ability to solve major problems and leaders across the aisle.
For example, a New York Times/Siena College poll released this week found that 64% of registered voters (including 68% of independents) think the country is too politically divided to solve its problems. This number is much higher than the same survey five years ago, when 42% of voters said the U.S. is too divided to solve problems amid a global pandemic and marches for racial justice.
The bitterness over the nation’s institutions and divisive debate is likely to intensify this weekend, as thousands of communities large and small in the United States prepare for a deluge of “No King” protests and marches.
For example, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said the event was orchestrated by a group of anti-American activists who despise the country.
“We’re calling it the ‘Hate America’ rally, and we’ll be holding it on Saturday. Let’s see who joins it,” he said. “You’re probably seeing pro-Hamas supporters. You’re probably seeing people like Antifa. You’re probably seeing Marxists in full force. People who don’t want to stand up and defend the fundamental truths of this republic.”
Other Republicans, such as Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), described groups organizing the event, including the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood, as people who “cheer for chaos, not the country.”
But protest organizers say they are feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness and are unwilling to back down.
They are positioning the weekend as a celebration of free speech and the right to assembly. They are also using it to shine a spotlight on the president’s policies, particularly regarding the deployment of the National Guard to U.S. cities, which have net negative approval ratings for President Trump.
For example, in the Times-Siena poll, 48% of registered voters, including 54% of independents, said President Trump is “bad for democracy,” compared to 33% who said the president is “good for democracy.”
Contributors: Sarah D. Wire, BrieAnna J. Frank
