‘Hate America Rally’: Republicans hint at violent response to ‘No Kings 2’ protestors

Saturday, Oct. 18 could go down as a pivotal day in the history of the United States. Millions of Americans furious at the Trump regime are gathering at over 2,500 locations nationwide for “No Kings 2, which is being billed as “the largest peaceful protest in American history”.

The keyword there is “peaceful”. This is a core objective, with organizers 50501 saying their past protest “peacefully mobilized millions of people to take to the streets and declare with one voice: America has no Kings”:

But while the protesters may not violent, it certainly sounds like Trump’s goons are itching to crack some skulls. Republicans have renamed this the “Hate America Rally”, saying it will be filled by the “Antifa”, “pro-Hamas”, and “the terrorist wing”.

At an event in Florida, Trump told attendees:

“The Democrats are unleashing their radical left mobs on our streets—Antifa, BLM remnants, all of them—to derail our agenda. No more! We’ll use every federal power: Insurrection Act if needed, swift arrests, and long prison terms. Law enforcement has my full backing to put them down.”

In a statement outside the White House on Oct. 9, Trump referenced protests in Portland, cranking up the violent language:

“These aren’t protesters; they’re radical left terrorists trying to burn down our country while we secure the border. Antifa and their Democrat enablers are funding this chaos to stop our deportations. We’re cracking down hard—federal agents are there to protect lives, and we’ll arrest every single one of these anarchists.”

Republicans go conspiracy-mad

Mike Johnson said he’s “had it with these people”, linking those involved to Hamas:

Mike Johnson: "We're so angry about it. I mean, I'm a very patient guy, but I've had it with these people. The theory we have right now — 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 … " pic.twitter.com/QKlHo9zRq2

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 10, 2025

NASA administrator Sean Duffy echoed this in the morning, hinting that those involved are “paid protesters”:

Sean Duffy: "The No Kings protest, Maria, really frustrating. This is part of antifa, paid protesters. It begs the question who's funding it." pic.twitter.com/UJHsMKBzVM

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 13, 2025

This rhetoric certainly sounds like they’re laying the groundwork for a violent state response to this dissent. The preparations are already ready, with talking heads in the media insisting those in attendance are backed by terrorist groups and intending to cause damage to America itself. Consequences sound brutal – how else are we to read Trump saying that cops have his “full backing to put them down”?

So, if you attend this weekend, take care of yourself. The Trump administration is busy painting a target on your back as we speak, and given their recent history of violence, expect the worst.