This is the third major mobilization since President Trump returned to the White House, and comes against the backdrop of a government shutdown that has not only shut down federal programs and services but also tested the core balance of power as an aggressive executive branch confronts Congress and the courts in ways that organizers warn is a slide into American authoritarianism, CNBC reported.
Many protesters have been particularly angered by attacks on their motivations for taking to the streets. In Bethesda, Maryland, some held signs that read, “There’s nothing more patriotic than protesting.”
In Washington, D.C., Brian Layman held up a large American flag and said it was despicable that Republicans had called him a terrorist all week.
“This is America. I don’t agree with their politics, but I don’t think they don’t love this country. I think they’re misguided. I think they’re power hungry,” Layman said. “The ongoing vilification of others in this country is sad, pathetic, and horrifying.”
Trump himself has left Washington and is at his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
“I say they call me a king. I’m not a king,” President Trump said in a Fox News interview that aired early Friday before departing for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. super PAC fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. Protests are expected closer to Saturday.
More than 2,600 rallies are planned for Saturday in cities large and small, organized by hundreds of coalition partners, the report added.
Master’s degree/PR