'A temper tantrum': Republicans escalate attacks on anti-Trump movement

14 October

U.S. President Donald Trump attends a ceremony marking the 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States at the Pentagon, in Washington D.C., U.S., September 11, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

As the "No Kings" Day rallies fast approach, Republicans are increasingly lashing out in an effort to paint the protests as un-American and the protesters as a small group of disgruntled extremists.

The first No Kings Day events — among, if not the largest protests in U.S. history — drew an estimated four million people across every state in the nation. Saturday's are expected to see an even larger turnout. Attendees are protesting authoritarianism and corruption, the federal government shutdown, and massive cuts to Obamacare subsidies and social programs including Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP.

U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN), the House Majority Whip, has been among the most vocal critics of the No Kings Day protests.

On Tuesday, Congressman Emmer told Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo that Democratic congressional leaders like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are "afraid" of the protestors, whom he described as "the most radical, small, and violent base in the country."

"You'll see them on Saturday on the Mall," he said. Republicans have repeatedly implied that the protests are only being held in Washington, D.C., but according to No Kings organizers there will be rallies across the country.

The protesters "just do not love this country," and "these guys are afraid of them," Emmer alleged, while calling the protest a "Hate America rally."

"We call it the 'Hate America' rally because you'll see the hate for America all over this thing when they show up," Emmer continued. "The rumor is that they can't end this shutdown beforehand because this small but very violent and vocal group is the only one that's happy about this."

The Bulwark's Andrew Egger on Monday warned: "There is no other way to read Republicans calling No Kings a 'hate America rally' run by 'Antifa people' than as an attempt to create the conditions to crack down on the protest with the might of the state."

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy on Monday also implied that congressional Democrats are waiting until after the protests to try to reopen the government, and alleged the protestors were paid and part of "Antifa."

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has repeatedly attacked the No Kings Day rallies.

“The theory we have right now,” Speaker of the House Mike Johnson told Fox News on Friday, “they have a hate-America rally that’s scheduled for October 18 on the National Mall. It’s the pro-Hamas wing and Antifa people, they’re all coming out."

He added, “this hate-America rally that they have coming up for October 18th, the Antifa crowd, and the pro-Hamas crowd, and the Marxists, they’re all gonna gather on the mall,” and called participants “an angry mob that’s a big chunk of their base.”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise also called the protests "Hate America rallies," as HuffPost reported.

"Democrats want to keep the government shut down to show all those people that are going to come here and express their hatred towards this country that they’re fighting President Trump, that they’re keeping the government closed, as if it’s something to be proud of,” Scalise said.

Tuesday morning, Scalise added, "Chuck Schumer is throwing a temper tantrum here at home just to appease the most radical elements of his base."

Emmer: "These guys are playing to the most radical, small, and violent base in the country. You'll see them on Saturday on the Mall. They just do not love this country." pic.twitter.com/Jkq08NFEpy
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 14, 2025

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