Explain the law is a weekly series that examines what the right is currently obsessed with, how it’s influencing politics, and why you need to know it.
Republican lawmakers have been on overdrive the past two weeks, lashing out at Saturday’s “No Kings” protests. Instead of addressing the protesters’ main concern – President Donald Trump’s numerous abuses of power – Republicans have targeted the movement with outrageous attacks.
The GOP defames “No Kings”
House Speaker Mike Johnson insisted that the anti-Trump rallies are evidence of a “hate America” movement and are part of a so-called “pro-Hamas wing” of the Democratic Party. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy complained in a Fox News interview that the rallies would feature “paid protesters” and members of the “antifa” movement.
These descriptions defy reality. Previous “No Kings” protests, which took place in June, highlighted approximately 4 to 6 million people peacefully expressing their dissent, a far cry from the nightmarish demagoguery of the GOP.
The latest round of smears echoes previous Republican arguments portraying their political opponents as terrorists or allies with terrorists.
The smear is not new
Trump loves to use this tactic.
In the 2024 election cycle, Trump has not been content to simply express his opposition to the Democratic Party. Instead, he insisted that an “internal enemy” of the country constituted a threat. Trump argued that the “enemy within” was such a problem that the “radical left crazies” who were part of it might need to be “taken care of” by the military and National Guard – a preview of the situation. its current policy.
Years ago, during his first term, Trump promoted the false idea that public protests against him and investigations into his wrongdoing were the work of the so-called deep state. This theory, inspired by other conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones, holds that an entrenched bureaucracy opposes its agenda and destabilizes the government, and is in cahoots with the Democratic Party and the progressive movement.
Trump and his acolytes are not the only ones adopting this tactic and rhetoric.
In 2005, with the United States deeply engaged in the Iraq War, Karl Rove, then a senior advisor to President George W. Bush, made a similar accusation. In a speech, Rove said: “Liberals saw the savagery of the September 11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding to our attackers. »
This was intended to characterize opposition to the war as aiding and comforting the terrorist group Al-Qaeda.
In reality, there was no connection between the Iraqi government and the September 11 attacks, and the Middle Eastern nation was also not in possession of weapons of mass destruction, which the Bush administration used to justify the war. This fear-mongering campaign was the product of misinformation from Rove, Bush and others in the administration.
Smears instead of an argument
Equating political opposition with terrorism is part of the Republican plan to stifle dissent and stigmatize those who deviate from Republican orthodoxy.
The party’s strategy against dissent is also reflected in its efforts to gerrymandered congressional districts in a way that overrepresents Republicans in Congress. The same tactic was also recently put forward when the Trump-appointed head of the Federal Communications Commission tried to silence comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who regularly makes fun of Trump.
By invoking terrorism where it does not exist, the Republican Party is openly attempting to distract the public from the opposition’s arguments, without the party having to honestly confront and refute them.
Conservatism’s support for violence and deception
Meanwhile, the conservative movement often has an element of deception and extremism.
In the 2010s, the “tea party” movement aimed to oppose the actions of the Obama administration were described as grassroots people. But much of that project was funded by wealthy Republican donors, like the Koch brothers, who sought to reduce government oversight of their business empires.
Conservatism, led by Trump at the moment, regularly kissed fanatical stunts. And Trump allies with violent groups like the infamous Proud Boys telling them in 2020 to “step back and stand idly by”.
Republicans had difficulty convincing a majority of the public to adhere to their extremist agenda. Even though the party managed to win the elections, most people support a safety net, oppose racism and misogyny, and do not want the government to interfere in their personal lives.
Instead of working to get voters to embrace its far-right agenda, Republicans find it easier to label peaceful, pro-democracy protesters as outright terrorists.
But that doesn’t mean it’s true.
