For example, DT fired workers from the Health and Human Services and the Education Departments. He fired employees at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. He fired workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who respond to infectious disease outbreaks, who help those with chronic diseases and pain, help those with awful injuries. He also fired workers from Homeland Security and Energy.
And he doesn’t hide his power-hungry intent. He says the lay-offs will be “Democrat-oriented,” meaning aimed at Democrats. This isn’t politics as usual, or politics as an occupation created to serve us, we the people. Instead, he’s attacking all of us, trying to manipulate the news so we blame Democrats. But it’s clear to see DT is the villain here. He’s even pressured the GOP Speaker, Mike Johnson, to refuse to bring the House of Representatives back to legislative session and work to end the shutdown. The House GOP aren’t even pretending to do their jobs.
When we can stand it, and we hear the latest news⎼ when we hear about this and other outrages, hear about a president invading American cities that elected Democrat mayors, hear about DT trying to punish us for opposing him by firing those who protect us from forest fires, help us recover from floods, research how to cure illnesses, and enforce the rule of law, or rule of the constitution. So many of us, millions, are fed up.
So, what can we do? Well, let’s start with the October 18 No Kings rally. March. Speak. Join others. Some think marches do nothing. But they get us energized for more targeted actions later. They connect us, help wipe out a sense of isolation. Get us ready to first protect and then work to get out the vote in 2026. Assert our commitment that there be No Kings in this nation! No dictators.
And this rally is scaring DT and his enablers in the GOP, because it gets right at the heart of what we the people are struggling for and he wants to stop⎼ our right to speak freely, our right to be heard and for our lives to be valued. Our right to speak the truth. Our right to mobilize the vote. DT is trying to criminalize dissent and the truth. This is clear in so many ways, like his pressuring networks to cancel Stephen Colbet and Jimmy Kimmel. And then there’s his investigations and indictments against the DOJ officials, former members of his cabinet, prosecutors, politicians, etc. who spoke out against or prosecuted him for his crimes: Letisha James, Jack Smith, James Comey, John Bolton, Adam Schiff, Mayor Ras Baraka, etc.
The Brennan Center for Justice said that DT “authorizes punishments for even tenuous connections to speech he doesn’t like.” In September, he issued the National Security Presidential Memorandum, which basically lists liberal and left-wing organizations as domestic terrorists.
So, demonstrations like the No Kings Rally are not merely symbolic. They are a direct expression of the constitutional rights that are being threatened by DT and which we must act to protect.
This is why he and his GOP sycophants have lied about and attacked the rally. They’ve called an event dedicated to loving the rule of law, loving our constitutional rights, loving the humane treatment of our fellow humans, the “Hate America rally.” DT says he’s getting ready to call up the National Guard to stop the message of the rally from getting through to the nation.
Speaker Mike Johnson even said,” We’re so angry about it. I’m a very patient man, but I have had it with these people.” He’s had it with whom, with Americans who simply want to exercise their right to free speech? Americans who want affordable healthcare? He said, “It’s all the pro-Hamas wing and Antifa…” For him, and DT, anyone supporting the rule of law instead of the rule by one is Antifa.
If they fear us like this, they know our power. We need to exercise this power so we don’t lose it. Join the No Kings Rally near you.
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on Wikimedia Under CC License
