Below is my column in the Hill on resumption of the claims that “democracy is dying” as part of the “No Kings” protests. When this column posted, I was inundated with the usual threats and profanity. However, the emails and messages were particularly vehement this week. (One on Father’s Day explained that when a bullet is put in my head, my children would celebrate). For self-professed champions of democracy, there is nothing more deflating and demoralizing than being told that democracy is not dying. “No Kings” is the ultimate virtue signal, but it requires a monarch to make the self-image complete. There are obviously important issues to debate and to protest. However, we can have that debate without the absurd claims that our constitutional system is failing, as claimed by many politicians and pundits.
Here is the column:
Across the nation today, thousands of protests are being organized by left-wing groups, unions, and other organizations, with chants of “No Kings, No Kings, No Kings.” The mantra is a calculated campaign to cement the notion that Donald Trump has assumed dictatorial powers.
It is a curious campaign, since every indication is that our constitutional system is operating precisely as designed.
Courts have ruled both in favor of and against the Trump administration. Congress has held hearings and passed legislation on various issues. We have the oldest and most stable constitutional system in the history of the world. The Constitution is not only designed for times like these — it was written in a time like this.
The superficial appeal of such campaigns is evident in the triggering event that sparked the protests. The Trump administration is holding a parade to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States Army — the kind of celebration that is common among our closest allies, from France to Great Britain.
Since this anniversary coincides with Trump’s birthday, it is claimed that it is nothing more than a royal birthday bash, even though Trump has been calling for such military parades since his first term.
The well-funded protests are being fueled by Democratic leaders, who are resuming their claims that citizens must either protest this weekend or accept tyranny in the United States. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D., Calif.) went so far as to declare, “If we don’t show up, Democracy dies.”
The Democrats seem to believe that the “death of democracy” theme that failed spectacularly in the last election can now rescue their party from record-low polling. In Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson (who is at 6 percent popularity with his constituents) announced, “I am counting on all of Chicago to resist in this moment.”
Even some judges appear to have picked up on the mantra. Before issuing his order to stop Trump’s use of the National Guard in Los Angeles this week, District Court Judge Charles Breyer declared in open court that Trump was another “King George.”
He then wrote an opinion that included in it many Democratic talking points — suggesting, for example, that Trump was creating disorder by calling out the National Guard to deal with disorder. Breyer further indicated that the violence in Los Angeles was relatively minor, despite potentially deadly attacks on law enforcement, arson, and looting.
Many of us have noted that there are good-faith arguments on both sides of this issue. However, since the Madison Administration, the Supreme Court has warned lower courts not to second-guess the basis for deployments. Rather than confine himself to the relative authority of the federal and state governments on ordering deployments, Judge Breyer eagerly entered the political fray on these collateral issues.
The impression is that Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) had Breyer at hello.
The “No Kings” mantra is meant to implant this image in the public psyche, despite the lack of evidence that democracy is in any real danger.
It is called the illusory truth effect, whereby the repetition of a false claim can create an impression of truth. Ironically, it is a technique denounced by some of these very same critics as a common means of disinformation. They cite the effect as a justification for censorship of opposing views.
Yet, what is disinformation to some is information to others. “Democracy is dying” may be an absurdity, but it is also their advocacy — and it is protected speech, no matter how disinformative.
The danger is that these Democratic politicians are fueling the most radical and violent elements in our country with their “rage rhetoric.”
The images reinforce the “no holds barred” message.
People watch unhinged members such as Rep. LeMonica McIver (D.-N.J.) hitting federal officers and forcing her way into federal facilities and the lessons are not lost on them.
They see Rep. Maxine Waters (R-Calif.), who has fueled the anger in prior riots, accusing California Guardsmen of coming to shoot people in Los Angeles and telling them, “You better shoot straight.”
Many are fueling the rage as a license to oppose Trump by any means. What they will not admit is that they need the rage. They like it.
That was evident in the disruption of a press conference by Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) who not only yelled at Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, but resisted efforts of security to move him into the hall. He then claimed to be a victim of authoritarianism.
The right to disrupt has never been a basis for democracy, but it is a basis for anarchy. The Democratic Party has finally embraced the philosophy of former Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), who famously pulled the fire alarm in order to prevent a vote from happening on the House floor.
Before he was voted out of office, Bowman was shown on videotape screaming about gun control in the Capitol as his colleagues left the floor following a vote. Various Democratic members, including former House Majority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), tried to calm Bowman. However, when Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) asked Bowman to stop yelling, Bowman shouted back: “I was screaming before you interrupted me.”
These politicians and pundits will not tolerate such interruptions this weekend. Whatever unfolds, it’s Trump’s fault. There is a national rave planned, and the republic be damned.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”
And, all this mania from those who NEVER cried, “No Kings, No Kings, No Kings,” when Biden assaulted the country with his “red speech,” complete with military background in blood red lighting, as he snarled against his “fellow Americans.”
And no cry of “No Kings, No Kings, NO Kings,” when Biden mandated injections across the land, causing great loss of work and income for so many.
The worst kind of hypocrites are in the streets; they should be punished for their insurrections and damages as coldly and severely as J-6’ers were.
At least we see what treason looks like. Joe Biden and his cabinet…
When Democrats talk about “democracy”, they are really talking about Marxism, which took over the party in the 1930s.
OT, today the Supreme Court granted review of a case, First Choice Women’s Resources Center v. Attorney General of New Jersey. The “question presented” link on the Supreme Court’s web site is not currently working, but it looks like it could have First Amendment implications. The attorney general of NJ is trying to force the pregnancy center to disclose its private donor list.
https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24-781.html
“Question presented” link is fixed:
QUESTION PRESENTED:
Where the subject of a state investigatory demand has established a reasonably objective chill of its First Amendment rights, is a federal court in a first-filed action deprived of jurisdiction because those rights must be adjudicated in state court?
So it looks like a mixed question of First Amendment rights and ripeness under Article III.
Yes, and could you explain why or why not. Thank you.
The language used in presenting the question isn’t lay friendly.
Yes, much of religion is conducted by fraud. Jimmy Swaggart, the Bakers, and so many others. I’m guessing Franklin Graham is audited, too, and readily has transparent transactions.
What is being claimed in this case is unclear. I don’t think I’ll research it but looking forward to your summary.
I recall that in the south in the 1990s, the state government wanted to obtain the KKK’s private donor list. A Black lawyer named Anthony Griffin represented the KKK, which caused quite a controversy. His contemporaries asked him, “Are you crazy?” He replied that the important thing was not the KKK, but the legal principle involved. The government’s power over private organizations must be limited. Establishing that principle would aid not just the KKK, but African American organizations too like the NAACP. Griffin was right.
https://scholarship.law.ua.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1585&context=fac_articles
Are you saying if fraud occurs then the aggrieved can file itself? Prevention of fraud isn’t protected?
If I’m completely having not a clue then?
A different time period in the klans action differing from today’s money launderers. Post the link if possible for all. Thanks
Trump and many of his supporters violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Not exactly treason but pretty close.
In the American system when we have such officials disloyal to their Oath of Office, those officials are banned for life from ever holding governing authority in the United States. Only Congress can reinstate such disloyal officials.
If we had a healthy constitutional rule of law system, Republicans in Congress would have enforced Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
Instead on January 20, 2025 (Trump’s first day in office) Trump attempted to illegally amend the 14th Amendment bypassing the constitutional amendment process. Then Trump suggested maybe bypassing the 22nd Amendment to run for a third term.
The problem is America is a “republic” not a democracy – the noun is a republic that operates within the U.S. Constitution. Trump has never understood the American system.
Alright ATS, name ONE person in the 21st century that has ACTUALLY been charged under A14S3 with treason. Go on, I’ll wait for your inane response.
-Rabble
“Trump and many of his supporters violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.” :-/
Here, again, the extreme-leftists’ lack of self-examination and hypocritical whitewash never ends: a selfishly and false-virtue bent, which feeds their own misappropriations and crimes against oaths, their own disloyalties and bypassing of constitutional process, operating via their own hollow and dilapidated “rule of law.”
SEE, Eric McFangFang Swallwell, Commie-Bernie, the Stock-Market-Queen of Insider Trading, the Pelosi-Cosa, to name just a few who have never understood, but certainly made good use of, the American System.
Swiss cheese , anon.
Your mom called and said you better be cleaning the garage. Fyi
^^^^
“The problem is America is a ‘republic’ not a democracy – the noun is a republic that operates within the U.S. Constitution. Trump has never understood the American system.”
Well, thanks for explaining that to us. I guess that means that you should be talking and going through your representatives in Congress then, right?
And if your congress person does not respond, I guess you can “peacefully” protest and “petition,” right?
And that’s what Trump told the Jan 6 people to do, right?
The only thing dying is the Democratic Party.
Please look into getting your meds changed
Why? Ron is not wrong. The party is a mess. Even long time Democrat, traditional liberal, Bill Maher has been pointing out how dysfunctional the Democrat party has become. Other Democrats have call the far-lefitst wing that has taken over the Democrat party “toxic.”
The dems are just sending out tendrils into the Independents to spread the cancer and keep a blood supply.
Nope. We want nothing to do with them. I keep telling my traditional, JFK Democrat sister they need to fix the party, get the stupid and crazy out of their party. She agrees. Leading up to the 2024 election, she wrote both the DNC and the Biden campaign she would vote for someone else if they did not get off the stupid and crazy.
It’s too late for them to bale. The J6 committee should have been sufficient.
Indeed.
“The deepest irony is … while corporate media keeps trying to paint President Trump as unhinged and chaotic, it’s actually the DNC that’s bleeding leaders, devouring its own, and leaking credibility. Voters don’t need to read the tea leaves— this is open war inside the Democrats’ shrinking tent. And, to everyone except sold-out partisans, party infighting reads like incompetence. When even dyed-in-the-wool union bosses are calling it quits, Trump gets an easy contrast: I’m the one running the show. They can’t even run a meeting.” –Jeff Childers
Our laws come from Congress. Trump is bypassing and violating those laws to enact his policy. That is a dictatorship.
8647
Name a law he is violating. He is trying to enforce the immigration laws passed by Congress, and your commie comrades are trying to prevent that.
We have a hybridized representative democracy, but even an Athenian democracy requires that once the election is over, ALL SIDES accept its results and live under it until the next one.
When people take to the streets to protest the winner of an election, they are attacking the very thing they falsely claim to be trying to save.
Tell that to the J6 traitors. 8647
Oh yeah J6, the only time you wanted the National Guard called and supported them fencing off the Capital for months.
In my opinion anyone that does that (not so) funny Jim Comey numbers thing should get a visit from the SS.
I understand why this column of yours got such an angry response, Turls. It’s built on intense gaslighting, beginning with its first sentence, where you maintain it was organized by leftists. And then you go on to give really stilted versions of the National Guard in California issue and the takedown of Padilla….
Does it bother you when you get assigned to write push pieces like this when there is direct video evidence contradicting your claims? Or do you honestly feel that evidence is like a rorschach test that is just there to exercise your cognitive dissonance?
Btw, I stood next to two friends at the demonstration in my town on Saturday. Both Vietnam veterans. One a decorated pilot, one a former sniper. The demonstration was organized by the art teacher in our grade k-12 local school.
Looking forward to how you’ll gaslight the Minnesota assassination now it’s been confirmed the assassin is an evangelical upholder of their tradition of using murder to make political points?
Party TF on.
Wow, the stupidity in you and your friends is high level delusion.
“Looking forward to how you’ll gaslight the Minnesota assassination now it’s been confirmed the assassin is an evangelical upholder of their tradition of using murder to make political points?”
************************
Yep with car load of “No Kings” rally posters. I’m guessing you’re a “facts-optional” kinda advocate!
Hundreds of immigration charges filed including against women assaulting officers
“In one week, 332 people were charged; 205 people were charged with illegal entry; 109 with felony illegal reentry after previously being deported. Most arrested have prior felony convictions and charges; 10 cases involve human smuggling.”
https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/hundreds-immigration-charges-filed-including-against-women-assaulting
MAGA winning!!!
The teacher did not arrange the demonstration – the teacher’s union did. I appreciate how you include all the buzz words but no facts. Ask yourself why a United States Senator yells at a press briefing. Watch the video, he is yelling. Why. Does he do that in Washington? Further, why was he not in Washington doing his committee work and voting for the people of California? The senator sat down with the secretary after the incident for 15 minutes. Was he yelling in the meeting?
Nope. It was the art teacher.
Cognitive dissonance??? Every iota of your post is full of it. How on earth do you find a confirmed “evangelical” on the “right,” for whom the preferred legislation has been voted, as a person eager to assassinate someone who has done exactly what he WANTED.
NO, you’re not only in severe and apish cognitive dissonance, but in such denial of outright facts as to be devoid of basic cognitive process.
I can see why you are so upset. Your “No Kings” day of rage was a complete and total dud. It amounted to nothing. Watching the videos on X, just a few old white people carrying signs and looking despondent.
The fact that the “No Kings” rally’s are full of old white people and the #Army250 parade crowd is full of young mulit-ethnic families really tells you which way the arrow is pointing. pic.twitter.com/Tss6J9s56o
— Wokal Distance (@wokal_distance) June 15, 2025
Btw, I stood next to two friends at the demonstration in my town on Saturday. Both Vietnam veterans. One a decorated pilot, one a former sniper.
*****************************
I served in Nam in 1971. I stand with Prez Trump.
The “No Kings” day of rage and protest turned out to be a big ol dud. As the good professor points out, democracy is not dying. For that matter it is alive and well. For the unhinged leftists loons it only seems to be dying as the majority of American’s voted for Trump and not for their candidate. Trump is enforcing the law, making his campaign promises and they are working and that is upsetting the leftists agenda.
Professor, do take care and be safe. A lot of unwell people out there and for some, they just may act on the hate and rage rhetoric.
Love when I get the magats all up in their feelings!
It appears that a large segment of our nation truly believes that you can run a nation based on emotion rather than the rule of law and therein lies our problem.
They NEED the rage. They are abused children with anger to displace. Often murderous anger. Marx was an abused child and drug addict. (Child abuse/drug abuse – go together) Hitler was an abused child. There is a problem. We elect leaders who have anger to displace. Abused children. If we knew what personality traits promote war – we wouldn’t put them in power.
“The Role of PTSD in History” by M. Simon blogspot – explains a lot.
Eric Daugherty
@EricLDaugh
LOS ANGELES WOMAN SLAMS ICE: “I have friends texting me…my gardener didn’t show up, housekeeper didn’t show…farmer’s market is closed…everyone’s scared…you’re gonna have to do your own dishes, clean your own house, mow your own lawn!”
https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1934341642837737632
Typo?
The article states “… Rep. Maxine Waters (R-Calif.),…” shouldn’t that read “D-Calif.”?
#9. Not sure there slowlight, but it’s a good question… Don’t see an “R”, or a “D”, in the lineup. Grand Mufti perhaps?
Including results for calif definition
Search only for calif “defination”?
calif /kā′lĭf, kăl′ĭf/
noun
1. Same as caliph, caliphate, etc.
2.Alternative form of caliph.
3. The civil and religious leader of a Muslim state considered to be a representative of Allah on earth.
Everyone here, except for George and a few other cultists, already knows AND understands just what a Federal Republic of States is. We also know that we only employ democratic-like processes to elect our Representatives to Congress. The notion that we must preserve our Democracy is a canard employed by the progs to inflame and utilize the most ignorant among us to create an atmosphere of chaos and then, quite easily with this crowd of tools, inspire insurrection beyond that which the democrat politicians and officials have taken us.
Awareness of that has never been the problem. Our problem is that we have allowed our media/education industry to miseducate so many in the mold of Charles Manson and Jim Jones whose unstable rage could be used for political gain. Our other problem is what to do with so many unhinged, uncivilized, self-obsessed, whiney but volatile examples of human flotsam who, no doubt, will prove to be utterly useless to our nation except as residents of a mental institution.
The people chanting the “No Kings” garbage are the same “demoralized” useful idiots wailing about the end of our democracy. We are of course supposed to ignore the Judicial branch blocking the Executive branch, or the Democratic party anointing their presidential candidate by bypassing the democratic primary process. I take great solace knowing that these people would be absolutely decimated if President Trump and his conservative base lived up to the Left’s fantasies.
Their “No Kings” demonstrations are all they have. No economic plans, no foreign policy, nothing. Just rage against President Trump and re-create the Summer of 2020. It’s their winning formula Olly. Greg
Skyraider,
Well said and spot on. Do they even have a plan or platform to campaign on other than, “We are not Trump!”
Well it is a winning formula, just not for them.
If you know anyone who actually believe the No Kings tripe it’s a pretty good indicator that they are a mindless partisan with zero critical thinking skills. Just remember who they are so you can avoind them.
Remind me again how Harris won the primary?
These same folks had no problem with Emperor Biden The Vegetable being a figurehead for the CIA.
In the Left’s vocabulary, “king” is a president whose policies they disagree with.
Trump is trying to enforce the immigration laws passed by Congress. That is not a king, that is a president whose job is to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” The Left is interfering with that lawful process with their disruptive anti-ICE protests.
When someone like Biden says he knows the Supreme Court ruled on his unilateral attempt to forgive student loans, but he’s gonna do it anyway – now that is acting like a king. But the Left was all on board with that.
In the minds of our misguided progressive neighbors,democracy is an outcome. If their preferred outcome isn’t forthcoming ” Democracy is dying.” Delusional…. Democracy is a process. Furthermore we live in a constitutional Republic not a democracy.