Republicans seize on nationwide anti-Trump protests as shutdown standoff drags on
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Republican lawmakers have spent the week sharpening their attacks on nationwide protests against President Donald Trump that many GOP leaders have dismissed as “Hate America” rallies.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take to the stage in cities across the country for the “No Kings” movement, and some congressional Democrats have even said they will attend.
Republicans cast the protests as a product of far-left activism, while arguing that Democrats remain committed to opposing the GOP’s plan to end the government shutdown to please the far-left base.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Fox Business Network he hoped the Democratic leaders in attendance would be more willing to accept the GOP’s plan after the demonstrations are over, but he didn’t sound overly optimistic.
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Speaker Mike Johnson and other House GOP leaders are using Saturday’s “No to Kings” rallies as a political cudgel amid the government shutdown. (David McNew/Getty Images; Rod Lamkey, Jr./AP Photo)
“This will be a collection of crazy left-wing policy priorities that will be on display for the whole country. After this is over, I hope there will be a few Democrats here who will come to their senses and get back to running the country,” Johnson said.
“Right now, I don’t think they will make this concession before the rally is over because they don’t want to face the angry crowd. That’s my assumption and the assumption of all of us. So it’s sad, but we’re in this situation.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DY) dodged a question about whether he would attend one of Friday’s rallies, telling reporters: “Given the sensitivities around the government shutdown, I haven’t finalized my weekend schedule yet. I’m still very hopeful that Republicans will decide to come to work so we can reopen the government.”
“But I support the right of every American to attend the rallies this week and participate to express their opposition to an out-of-control administration,” he said.
However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY) said that he, like House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), would attend one of the protests.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DY, and Senate Democrats are still unwilling to budge from their positions as the shutdown drags on. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, predicted more senior Democratic figures would go but, like Johnson, signaled hope that Republicans would concede to his demands once this process is over.
“My guess is that if they don’t want a primary from the left, they’ll probably find a way to sneak it into their schedule. The question will be: Do they have the courage to come back and open the government after Saturday?” Nunn told Fox News Digital earlier this week.
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“They should do it today. But if they feel they need to appease their base, then they better come to Jesus on Sunday and find a way to help them get back to the business of caring for the American people.”
House GOP leaders also criticized the rallies in nearly every one of their daily closed-door news conferences this week.
Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said Friday that Schumer is “more interested in impressing the ‘Hate America’ rally crowds that will come here tomorrow than he is in not being able to solve all our problems tomorrow.”
“No to Kings” protests against the Trump administration are expected to take place in cities across the country on October 18, 2025. (Ringo Chiu/AFP via Getty Images)
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House Majority Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on Tuesday about the rallies’ place in the shutdown fight: “The rumor is that they can’t end the shutdown in advance, because a small but very violent and vocal group is the only group that’s happy about it.”
“If they get this shut down beforehand, then they have to deal with that group beforehand. If they get through that, at least they get through the Hate America rally and then they can handle this,” Emmer said.
The House passed a bill to keep federal government funding at current levels through November 21; this was called continuing resolution (CR) and was mostly along party lines. Last month.
It has since failed in the Senate 10 times, with a majority of Democrats rejecting any spending deal that did not include an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies, which expire at the end of this year without congressional action.
