A chorus of authoritarian pushback
Ordinary people proclaim “No Kings,” and institutions start to fight back.
By Lisa Gilbert
Last weekend, some 7 million Americans proudly gathered, many of them for their first ever protest, to say “we do not do kings or dictators in America.” This turnout, the largest in American history, topped the groundbreaking uprising of 5 million Americans during the first “No Kings” rally in June. MAGA Republicans are feeling the pressure.
President Donald Trump smeared protesters as terrorists, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) deemed No Kings the “Hate America rally.” This is an intentional tactic to distract from the reality that Americans from all walks of life are coming together not because they hate America but because they love it and see the need to defend it from an authoritarian slide.
The Trump administration’s repeated attempts to tear the fabric of our democracy are deeply alarming. We have seen attacks on judges, on the media, on universities, on nonprofits, on an ever-growing list of people—but getting lost in the parade of horribles on display by this administration are the ways targeted institutions and people are catching up to regular Americans and starting to push back.
Just last week, the vast majority of news organizations—including the New York Times and the Washington Post—refused to capitulate to the Pentagon’s restrictions on what government information can be published, citing their commitment to the freedom of the press.
On Oct. 10, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology rejected a Trump regime proposal for funding in exchange for partisan educational standards (such as restricting foreign admissions, restricting university leaders’ comments on political events, and adopting a binary definition of gender). And 7 other institutions followed shortly after. All remaining schools should likewise say no.
On Oct. 9, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) sent requests to airports nationwide to air a partisan video of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats in Congress for the ongoing federal government shutdown on screens near passenger security lines. As of Thursday, all but three of the nation’s 25 busiest airports are refusing to air the vindictive, finger-pointing video. Some of those airports said the political nature of Noem’s message violated their policies.
Additionally, Public Citizen filed a Hatch Act complaint (the 12th of its kind against the administration since the start of the government shutdown two weeks ago) against Noem for producing and distributing the obviously partisan video using our taxpayer dollars. Noem’s message is consistent with comments from President Donald Trump and top administration officials, who, since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, have used government homepages and employee out-of-office messages to lambast congressional Democrats for not joining Republicans to pass a stopgap budget bill that does not restore tax credits that, if left to expire, would make health insurance unaffordable for millions of Americans.
The opposition to the Trump administration’s totalitarian encroachment isn’t unique to the left; last week Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who chairs the National Governors Association, condemned the deployment of National Guard troops across state lines in a important example of Republican criticism of the Trump administration’s aggressive use of military troops in American cities.
These moves show that the Trump power grab is not absolute, and that institutions and prominent individuals are beginning to join the loud voices of millions heard this weekend at rallies saying enough is enough.
The Trump administration must not be allowed to usurp political power from the American people. Those of us who are dedicated to protecting our democracy must continue to fight—mounting legal challenges, organizing protests, and speaking out tirelessly against these infringements on our most unalienable rights.
Institutions and public figures—including members of the press, universities, and the government—must join their colleagues and find the courage to fight back against unconstitutional conduct. Last weekend’s protests show that Americans will have their backs.
The chorus of outrage is growing louder.
Lisa Gilbert is co-president of Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that champions the public interest in the halls of power.
Our airports in Huntsville and Birmingham Alabama are not airing Kristi Noem’s video thank goodness. No Kings 2.0 in Huntsville had a little over 3k protesters and there were a mixed bag of people there White, Black , Asian, Latino and mixed race people. It was great to see them all there. Even a neurosurgeon who had just finished his shift at the hospital joined us briefly in the protest since the protest was just across the street from the hospital. Protests should grow larger and louder.
I'm glad to hear of pushback and resistance and glad The Contrarian does print "good news" as well as not. It's very needed amidst so many destructive policies going on. Onwards and upwards.