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Republican lawmakers spent the week sharpening their attacks on Saturday’s national day of protests against the president Donald Trumpwhich many Republican leaders dismissed as “Hate America” ​​demonstrations.
Cities across the country are expected to see hundreds of thousands of people come out for the “No Kings” movement, and even several Democrats in Congress have said they will attend.
Republicans have cast the protests as a product of far-left activism, while at the same time arguing that Democrats have stood firm against the GOP plan to end the government shutdown in an attempt to please that far-left base.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Fox Business Network that he hoped Democratic leaders in attendance would be more willing to accept the GOP plan after the demonstrations ended, but he didn’t sound overly optimistic.
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Speaker Mike Johnson and other House Republican leaders are using Saturday’s “No Kings” demonstrations as a political coup amid the government shutdown. (David McNew/Getty Images; Rod Lamkey, Jr./AP Photo)
“It’s going to be a collection of political priorities from the wild left, and that’s going to be on display for the whole country. After it’s over, I hope there are a few Democrats around here who come to their senses and get back to running the country,” Johnson said.
“At this point, I don’t think … it’s my guess and all of ours that they wouldn’t make that concession before that rally is over because they don’t want to face the angry crowd. I mean it’s sad, but there we are.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., dodged a question about whether he would attend one of Friday’s rallies, telling reporters: “I haven’t finalized my schedule for the weekend given, you know, the sensitivities around the government shutdown I still have high hopes that Republicans will decide to run for work so we can reopen the government.”
“But I support the right of every American to participate in the demonstrations that will take place this week and to come out to express their dissent against an out-of-control administration,” he said.
However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he would attend one of the protests, as did House Speaker Pete Aguilar, D-Calif.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats are still unwilling to budge as the shutdown drags on. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, predicted more Democratic figures would go, but, like Johnson, expressed hope they would accept Republican demands when it was over.
“My guess is that if they don’t want a left-leaning primary, they’ll probably find a way to sneak it into their calendar. The real question is going to be, do they have the guts after Saturday to go back and open the government?” Nunn told Fox News Digital earlier this week.
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“They should do it today. But if they feel they have to appease their base, then they better come to Jesus on Sunday and figure out a way to help them get back to the business of taking care of the American people.”
House Republican leaders also criticized the rallies at nearly every daily news conference this week.
Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said Friday that Schumer was “more concerned” about “impressing the ‘Hate America’ rally crowd that comes here tomorrow than about not solving all of our problems tomorrow.”
“No Kings” protests against the Trump administration are expected to be held in cities across the country on October 18, 2025. (Ringo Chiu/AFP via Getty Images)
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And House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on Tuesday about the place of rallies in the shutdown fight: “The rumor is that they can’t end the shutdown beforehand, because a small but very violent and vocal group is the only one who’s happy with this.”
“If they shut it down beforehand, then they have to deal with that group beforehand. If they get it, at least they got their Hate America rally, and then they can do this,” Emmer said.
The House passed a bill to keep the federal government funded at current levels until Nov. 21, called a continuing resolution (CR), mostly along party lines last month.
It has since failed 10 times in the Senate, with a majority of Democrats rejecting any spending deal that doesn’t also include an extension of Obamacare subsidies during the COVID-19 pandemic that will expire at the end of this year without congressional action.
