Donald Trump and maga Republicans must pay attention to No Kings peaceful protests but instead are in panic mode about the growing movement

Echo opinion essay published in the Philadelphia Inquirer by Will Bunch.  

Then they fight you: How the ‘No👑 Kings’ protests are winning America:  A massive turnout of over 7 (plus➕) million (with a tally on the ground being 8.2 million1) and a panicked White House showed Saturday why the No👑 Kings protests matter, a lot.

Outlined against a blue, gray October sky on a perfect fall morning, Carol Otis, in her Obama-Biden T-shirt, joined more than 1,000 people Saturday who lined both sides of the busy Eagle Road thoroughfare in Havertown, Pennsylvania, to yell, wave signs, and provoke an endless cacophony of car horns against an authoritarian Donald Trump regime.

Demonstrators gather for a ’No Kings’ rally in Philadelphia on Saturday.Joe Lamberti / For The Inquirer

“I could probably name 7,000 reasons why,” the 77-year-old recent retiree from Drexel Hill told me, “because every day there are 18 things that happen that are just what Trump says — and then there’s the GOP talking about this ‘hate rally.’"

There is a famous quote about mass protest movements — with murky origins (misattributed frequently to Gandhi) — that says: “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” 

Saturday’s massive ”No👑Kings" protest that filled main streets and public squares from New York and D.C. to smaller burgs like Havertown showed that the effort to halt and reverse dictatorship in mid-2020s, America has already prompted a half-laughing, half-fighting response from an increasingly unpopular White House and its right wing (make America a dictatorship) allies.

Ignored at first, the “No👑Kings” protest movement is rapidly accelerating toward the then-you-win phase. 

Indeed, the over-the-top alarmism from Republicans like House Speaker Mike Johnson, who called it a “hate America rally,” or Texas Gov. Greg Abbott — who called up his state’s National Guard in Austin to pump up a ridiculous narrative about rock-throwing radicals instead of the peaceful, joyous events in 2,700 different locales — proved that “No👑 Kings” struck a raw nerve.

So Otis didn’t make a sign and chose instead — like many in this protest in the heart of suburban Delaware County — to wave an American flag, “because people who carry the flag do not hate America and as you can see there are a lot of flags.”

She laughed, then added sarcastically, parrying one of the more absurd GOP talking points: “We’re all paid protesters❗😀George” — Soros, the liberal billionaire — “where are you? I don’t see you. I’m waiting for my handout.”

The day was not only nonviolent, but also historic. The estimated over 7 million who showed up across America marked the second-largest one-day protest in U.S. history, surpassed only by a very different type of event, the first Earth Day in 1970. That was roughly 40% larger than the first “No👑Kings” event in June, and in talking to protesters Saturday it seemed the turnout was only boosted by the right-wing rhetoric, that anti-Trump protesters must be some kind of domestic terrorists.

“Knowing that they’re feeling threatened makes me know this is what needs to happen,” Gary Fishbein — 65, from Bala Cynwyd, with his American flag T-shirt and Eagles cap — told me. His words were nearly drowned out by the steady honking of supportive cars passing the undulating sea of signs that were as funny as “Does This Ass Make My Country Look Small” or as simple as “Dogs Against Fascism” (held by the canine’s companion) or just, “Freedom to Speak.”

The official White House reaction, as related to one reporter, was “Who cares?” But guess what❓ They clearly cared, a lot. You could see that in the week leading up to the demonstration, with the increasingly insane rhetoric and warnings about “antifa” — a tiny, unorganized sliver of young rock-throwing radicals who were nowhere in sight Saturday — that aimed to neutralize the reality that millions of everyday Americans are sick of seeing a masked secret police snatch people off the streets.

Just a short time after the “who cares” comment, Trump himself posted a shocking — to the extent that anything can be truly shocking anymore — AI-created video to Truth Social that showed him piloting a jet fighter wearing a king’s crown (!!) and “bombing” a large U.S. urban protest march with brown, liquid, um, excrement.

I guess that was supposed to be the fascist version of four-dimensional chess, that our 47th and possibly last president could mock, ridicule, and dismiss “No👑Kings” by confirming everything that the largest protest in 56 years was all about, that our government is hijacked by a monarch who defecates on his own subjects. 

Indeed, the reality is that Trump’s late-night video reeked more of panic and fear 😱than its crude subject matter.

The biggest American protest doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The reason that 7 (plus ➕) million people are in the streets is that Trump long ago squandered any chance for a honeymoon after his narrow reelection in 2024. 

Rather, his approval rating is just nearly 40% in the latest Gallup poll (even lower in some other surveys). And like the protester Otis said, there are about 7,000 reasons — including higher prices in the supermarket, a looming doubling of health insurance premiums for millions of Americans, and a 20-days-and-counting shutdown of the federal government with no end in sight.

But it was Trump’s mass-deportation crusade, and the brutal tactics by those masked and unbadged goons for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies — grabbing migrants (and, in at least 170 documented cases, U.S. citizens) off the street and lobbing tear gas at anyone who protests — that was cited again and again by the marchers when I asked them why they are in the streets.

Ben Liptock — 38, who lives in Havertown and teaches in a North Philadelphia public school, and came with his 9-year-old son, Bobby — explained that we need to “continue to show people that you’re not alone in today’s America — it’s scary to protest." 

Also,  Liptock said he felt they had to be there for his many immigrant students — some who’ve gone home to find their dads deported — who can’t safely demonstrate themselves.

“If I looked a little different I wouldn’t be able to show my face and protest power,” Liptock said. “There are people in the shadows right now and they’re 😠😠😨😥terrified.”

It arguably cut both ways that the suburban crowd in Havertown was overwhelmingly white, with most older than the median U.S. age of 38. Others echoed Liptock that this breed of protester can use its privilege to speak for those who can’t, and any true mass movement needs the white metro middle class to succeed. But the lack of Black and brown faces or members of Gen Z (who’ve powered uprisings in parts of Asia and Africa) remains a significant problem for “No 👑 Kings.”

Someone like Emilio Ovalle ― a lanky 19-year-old student from West Chester University waving a sign with a Mark Twain quotation ("they're a mighty ornery lot. It's the way they're raised"). — stood out in the crowd on Saturday. The son of an immigrant from Guatemala, Ovalle also cited the deportations as his No. 1 issue, and while he said many of his friends oppose Trump he also understands their reluctance to protest.

“Part of it has to be the Democrats — they’re not good at getting the young vote,“ he said. ”The right is very good at appealing to a lot of the insecurities, especially in younger men."

This would seem to be the next mission for “No👑 Kings” going forward, to build a bigger network with groups such as Gen Z teens and 20-somethings or African Americans. Those groups also have major issues with the Trump presidency but feel them in different ways and express them in different venues than the ones like Facebook or MSNBC that are popular with the first wave of protesters.

That said, it’s impossible to ignore what the “No Kings” movement has accomplished in a matter of months. By raising their voices, protesters have encouraged Democrats in Washington to at least slightly stiffen their backbones, as shown by the current budget battle. They are winning new converts from the disaffected middle by exposing the depths of Trump’s unpopularity.

And they are reassuring their friends and neighbors to keep the faith in a dark moment — that there are far more Americans who want democracy than dictatorship. “It makes you feel good that you are not alone, that a lot of people feel the same way,” Michael Tempone, a 73-year-old from Upper Darby waving American flags with his wife Stephanie, told me.

There were thousands of American flags across the nation Saturday, and no reported violence, and close to no arrests — zero in New York City (where the NYPD is not known for its restraint) or San Diego or fearmongered Austin. That is driving the Trump regime bat-guano crazy, because they have not crushed the resistance, and they know their days are numbered. As I walked back to my car, I heard one protester chuckle to his partner, “This is the best ‘hate America’ rally that I’ve ever been to.”

Texas Republicans scrambling like rats to find the escape hatch and avoid accountability about the July 4th deadly flash floods

Echo opinions published by the Houston Chronicle editorial board: 

Thumbs down: If you are understandably brought to tears by images of waterlogged stuffies and want to know who is to blame for the deadly Hill Country floods, the Texas Governor Greg Abbott doesn’t want to hear it. “That's the word choice of losers," Abbott said when asked by a reporter on Tuesday who was to blame for the devastation. As our governor tells it, the July 4th flood was less a preventable tragedy and more a fumbled play under the Friday night lights. 

“Know this, every football team makes mistakes,” he said. “The losing teams are the ones that try to point out who's to blame.’” So dry those eyes and rub some dirt on it. (Wanna be❓) Coach Abbott is here to focus on results — just don’t expect him to review the game tape. Clear eyes. Full Hearts. Can’t lose our patience with officials deflecting responsibility.

At least 37 children died in the July 4 Texas flash floods, primarily in Kerr County. These deaths occurred at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls, and in other areas along the Guadalupe River. The flooding was a result of heavy rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry, which caused the Guadalupe River to rise rapidly.

Double Thumbs Down: Online commentary is attacking Ted Cruz...aka... "Cruz to lose" for being in Greece during the disasterous July 4th floods. Yes we roasted “Cancun Cruz” when he fled Winter Storm Uri with his family and left his dog behind. And yes, we've called on him to resign for attempting to undermine American democracy and the peaceful transfer of power.

Thumbs down: And speaking of internet trolls, right-wing podcaster Charlie Kirk 🤢saw the floodwaters and knew how he could help — by pushing partisan talking points. Amid an already heated controversy surrounding Austin Fire Chief Joel Baker — who is facing accusations of failing to promptly deploy rescue crews during the crisis — Kirk chose to glide over critiques. Instead, he bizarrely accused Baker, who is Black, of being a "DEI" hire and blamed him for flood deaths. Kirk’s comments were so extreme that even the Austin firefighter union, which is actively calling for a no-confidence vote against Baker, felt compelled to defend the decorated and experienced chief: “As a reminder” they said. “The Austin Firefighters Association firmly condemns all forms of racism, hate speech, and abusive rhetoric.”

Thumbs down: The foot-in-mouth disease went fully bipartisan this week after a Houston-area pediatrician* and a former member of the Houston Food Insecurity Board both found themselves publicly dragged — and professionally sidelined — for treating the deaths in the Hill Country floods as nothing more than a political cudgel against conservatives.😕😒 Pro tip: If you wouldn’t say it at the memorial, don’t post it to the internet.


Thumbs down: Before Texas puts the Ten Commandments in classrooms, maybe the Office of the Attorney General could use a moral tablet or two. On Thursday, Ken Paxton’s wife posted on social media she was filing for divorce “on biblical grounds.” We’re left guessing as to which exact sin has been revealed❓ to state Sen. Angela Paxton since Ken’s impeachment trial. We already knew about the allegations that Texas’ top lawman coveted his neighbor’s wife — not to mention his $1,000 Montblanc pen. (Is Paxton a hypocrite, ya'think❓)

*Houston pediatrician fired over flood victims comment issues apology. "I take full responsibility for a social media comment I made..." (This pediatrician should lose his medical license❗)

Kamala Harris on Fox News! She showed up and left Bret Baier without anything to spin about.

Echo 🔊opinion letter published in The Boston Globe:

Editor: As a scholar of political rhetoric who spent more than 40 years analyzing presidential discourse, I believe the act of Vice President Kamala Harris going on (Fake❗)Fox News October 16, will have a greater capacity to influence voters than anything of substance that she said — including her effectively responding to Bret Baier’s numerous interruptions, demonstrating he was arguing with her rather than asking questions in an objective manner as journalists are expected to do (”Shoring up soft spots as Nov. 5 closes in,” Page A1, October 17).

As one commentator put it, as a result of the arguably adversarial interview with Baier, some Fox viewers will now Google to discover things Harris said and has done that Fox News rarely — if ever — shows. It is significant as well that, at this closing stage of the campaign, Harris was willing to face tough questions from a (Fake❗) Fox News host. It is also noteworthy that she — along with 100 Republicans — held a rally on Wednesday in Pennsylvania.

From Richard Cherwitz in Austin, Texas

The writer is a professor of communications at the University of Texas at Austin.

American Catholic Bishops support DACA

Roman Catholics must stand behind support for immigrants. Virtually 100 percent of all Roman Catholics who are not descended from Native Americans are themselves descendents of immigrants. We are the children of parents who came here to build better lives for our generation. We are DACA!

MaineWriter:  I support DACA because it's protecting children! In a vicarious way, we are all DACA

Dferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) 

Although the five sterile words that describe the DACA acryonmy are, frankly, meaningless when they stand alone, the fact of the matter is, when put into a lable, they are a cruel label.

A Jesuit priest friend explained to me how DACA describes children who came to the US with their parents who were undocumented immigrants.  In fact, that's true enough from a policy perspective, but in an existetial sense, we are all DACA.

Here is the Roman Catholic Bishops statement published in July 2017, to support DACA:

Support For DACA; Calls On Administration And Congress To Ensure Permanent Protection For DACA Youth

July 18, 2017
WASHINGTON, DC— Over 750,000 youth have received protection from Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) since its inception by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2012. While DACA provides no legal status, it does provide recipients with a temporary reprieve from deportation and employment authorization for legal work opportunities in the United States.

In response to the recent petition to the U.S. Department of Justice to terminate DACA, Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, Chair of the Migration Committee and Bishop of Austin, Texas, expressed support for DACA once again, stating:

Catholic Bishops have long supported DACA youth and continue to do so. DACA youth are contributors to our economy, veterans of our military, academic standouts in our universities, and leaders in our parishes.

These young people entered the U.S. as children and know America as their only home. The dignity of every human being, particularly that of our children and youth, must be protected.

I urge the Administration to continue administering the DACA program and to publicly ensure that DACA youth are not priorities for deportation.

However, DACA is not a permanent solution; for this reason, I also call on Congress to work in an expeditious and bipartisan manner to find a legislative solution for DACA youth as soon as possible. My brother bishops and I pledge continuing efforts to help find a humane and permanent resolution that protects DACA youth. Additionally, I note the moral urgency for comprehensive immigration reform that is just and compassionate. The bishops will advocate for these reforms as we truly believe they will advance the common good.Lastly, to DACA youth and their families, please know that the Catholic Church stands in solidarity with you. We recognize your intrinsic value as children of God. We understand the anxiety and fear you face and we appreciate and applaud the daily contributions you make with your families, to local communities and parishes, and to our country. Roman Catholics and the American Bishops support you on your journey to reach your God-given potential.