America is bracing for a weekend of tension — and possibly confrontation.
Republican governors in several states prepare for nationwide protests against Donald Trump.
The “No Kings” movement, whose organizers promise rallies at more than 2,500 locations, says the message is simple: America doesn’t bow to one man.
“The president thinks his rule is absolute,” the group’s website declares. “But in America, we don’t have kings.”
Texas and Virginia have already activated their National Guard troops.
Whether those soldiers will appear on the streets remains to be seen, but the optics are already striking.
Troops Face Protesters
“Sending armed soldiers to suppress peaceful protests is what kings and dictators do,” said Texas Democrat Gene Wu.
He blasted Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to deploy troops ahead of a planned rally in Austin.
Republicans, meanwhile, are painting the demonstrations as dangerous and “Antifa-linked.”
Kansas Senator Roger Marshall didn’t mince words: “We’ll have to get the National Guard out. Hopefully it’ll be peaceful. I doubt it.”
At the last “No Kings” protest in June, organizers say more than five million Americans marched.
This time, the stakes — and the symbolism — are higher.
In a nation built on rebellion against monarchy, the real question is: who’s acting more like the king now?
