Several senior members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet began the week Monday morning by denouncing the upcoming nationwide “No Kings” protests scheduled for Saturday. The demonstrations, first held in June to oppose authoritarianism and government corruption, drew millions of participants across the country and are expected to do so again.
As other Republicans last week, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy implied on Monday that congressional Democrats are waiting until after the protests to try to reopen the government. Democrats have put forth multiple pieces of legislation to end the shutdown but Republicans have blocked them.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who last week alleged the rallies are "hate America" protests, has stated repeatedly that he will not bring to the floor for a vote any bill from the Senate to end the shutdown that is not the continuing resolution the House passed weeks ago. Prior to the shutdown, President Trump told congressional Republicans to not negotiate with Democrats.
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"The No Kings protests, Maria, really frustrating," Secretary Duffy told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo.
"I mean, this is part of Antifa, paid protesters," he alleged.
President Donald Trump has attempted to designate "Antifa" as a domestic terrorist organization. Antifa is not an organized group.
"It begs the question, who's funding it, but, yeah, Democrats want to wait for a big rally of a No Kings protest, when the bottom line is, who's running the show in the Senate?" Duffy asked, attempting to pin the blame on Democrats.
"Chuck Schumer's not running the show," he said of the Democratic minority leader. "The No Kings protesters, or organizers, are running the show.
"Is AOC threatening a primary against Chuck Schumer. Is she running the show?" he said of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
Duffy insisted, "You need a strong leader in the Senate to take control and make decisions, and Chuck Schumer's blowing in the breeze, he has no power, no authority, because he's given it up to his primary opponent, potentially an AOC, or to the No Kings protest organizers, and it's shameful."
Duffy was not alone.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also blasted Democrats over the No Kings protests.
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"If in fact, they are waiting for this 'No Kings' protest, you know, No Kings means no paychecks. No paychecks, and no government," Bessent also told Bartiromo. "And, Maria, I think the dirty secret here for why this has dragged on for so long is the Democratic friends in the mainstream media have been downplaying the shutdown."
"This is getting serious," Bessent warned, "it's starting to affect the real economy. It is starting to affect people's lives."
Critics blasted the White House.
The Bulwark's founder and publisher, Sarah Longwell, observed: "These guys seem very nervous about the upcoming No Kings protest."
Media Matters senior fellow Matthew Gertz added, "The administration’s target isn’t 'antifa,' it is dissent."
"Nobody is paying us, Sean," wrote Fred Wellman, a pro-democracy podcaster, Army veteran of 22 years who served four combat tours, and a candidate for the U.S. House from Missouri. "We are angry. Welcome to freedom of speech. You must have missed that part of the Constitution when you were partying on MTV."
Sean Duffy: "The No Kings protest, Maria, really frustrating. This is part of antifa, paid protesters. It begs the question who's funding it." pic.twitter.com/UJHsMKBzVM
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 13, 2025
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