Republican governors are flexing their muscles ahead of anti-Trump “No Kings” protests set for this weekend, telling protesters to “think twice” before considering echoing recent strains of violence found in Los Angeles.
The governors of South Carolina, Texas, and Utah have issued warnings against violence ahead of the protests on Saturday. In the wake of California riots and attacks on authorities that broke out in reaction to Trump’s immigration agenda, the Republican leaders said similar acts of violence in their states will be met with a swift response from law enforcement.
Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) said on Tuesday that he would put South Carolina on an elevated sense of alert “if it’s necessary.” His comments came hours after South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson issued a statement saying his office is aware of potential “coordinated protests and acts of civil disobedience” planned for Saturday, adding that protestors who attack law enforcement, destroy property, or endanger lives will be prosecuted “to the fullest extent of the law.”
“If people want to protest and want to voice their opinion, that’s fine. But when you start destroying property, scaring people, hurting people that’s when law enforcement swings into action,” McMaster said. “I would urge people who want to cause trouble in our state to think twice because this is not the place to cause trouble. You will be held accountable.”
Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) revealed that the Texas National Guard would be deployed across the Lone Star state to quell possible violence, while Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) also had a message to send protestors: “Just a word of warning to anybody who is thinking about any type of violence or chaos or property damage or vandalism,” he said during a news conference.
“It will not happen here, and you will be held accountable,” Cox said. “We are going to be overprepared.”
On Saturday, millions of President Donald Trump’s critics are set to take to the streets in what is set to be the largest nationwide anti-Trump mobilization effort since he took office in January, with roughly 1,800 protests planned in over 1,500 cities across all 50 states. Organizers of the “No Kings” demonstrations have planned the events to fall on June 14, which is Trump’s birthday, and also the day the president is celebrating the Army’s 250th birthday by holding a massive military parade in Washington, D.C.
The president wants “tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday,” the “No Kings” organization’s website reads. It has accused Trump of unlawfully wielding authoritarian powers during his time in office, particularly citing the president’s move to send in troops to quell recent riots in Los Angeles that sparked in reaction to federal deportation sweeps for illegal immigrants.
“The No Kings mobilizations on June 14 were already planned as a peaceful stand against authoritarian overreach and the gross abuse of power this Administration has shown. Now, this military escalation only confirms what we’ve known: this government wants to rule by force, not serve the people. From major cities to small towns, we’ll rise together and say: we reject political violence. We reject fear as governance. We reject the myth that only some deserve freedom,” the website reads.
Trump is set to speak at the June 14 military parade, which falls on his 79th birthday and Flag Day. The parade will close a week of celebrations observing the Army’s 250th birthday.
During remarks in the Oval Office on Tuesday, the president warned protestors to stay away from the D.C. parade.
“For those people that want to protest, they’re going to be met with very big force,” Trump said. “And I haven’t even heard about a protest, but you know, this is people that hate our country, but they will be met with very heavy force.”
Indivisible, a Democratic-aligned network with ties to left-wing billionaire George Soros, is helping to spearhead the “No Kings” protests.
Indivisible rose to national prominence earlier this year for organizing campaigns against the Trump administration that were targeted at Tesla CEO Elon Musk in his then-role leading the Department of Government Efficiency. Indivisible’s efforts included organizing anti-Tesla campaigns and leading a nationwide protest against Musk’s DOGE and Trump on April 5, with over 900 rallies planned in the U.S. Indivisible was also determined to have spurred seemingly organic constituent protests to DOGE at GOP town halls and congress members’ offices in multiple states, investigations found.
Ezra Levin, co-executive director of Indivisible, said in a statement last month that his group is leading the latest protests against the White House because “Trump wants to be king.”
“The reason he wants to be king is to self-enrich. The way he’s doing that is by turning the United States into a billionaire-friendly oligarchy. The way he’s paying for that is by throwing millions of people off their health insurance, gutting SNAP, and slashing funding for every federal program people depend on.
“Fortunately, in the United States, the people have a say,” Levin continued. “On June 14, we’ll be showing up in every city in the country to remind him: We don’t do kings here.”
The “No Kings” movement has gained support from notable figures, including Walmart heiress Christy Walton, who purchased a full-page color ad in the New York Times advertising June 14 as “No Kings Day.”
The “No Kings” coalition and Indivisible are set to lead a protest in Los Angeles on Saturday, which has been racked by unrest in recent days as rioters attack the Trump administration for deporting illegal immigrants.
The Saturday event is expected to be attended by tens of thousands of demonstrators, per organizers.
But while California’s Democratic governor has largely sided with protesters against the government, Republican governors are drawing the line at “unconscionable” violence in their states, which they worry has overtaken Los Angeles.
“When things get out of control, somebody has to stop it,” Cox said this week.“I’ve seen the videos [of Los Angeles]. The damage that is being done is unconscionable, and we just can’t have that in a civil society.”
“I want Utah to be the best place in the United States to protest,” he continued. “I also want Utah to be the worst possible place to riot. The minute you start to spray-paint the Capitol, the second you implement violence or property destruction, we will arrest you and hold you accountable and break up the disturbance that is happening.”
Anyone who has those intentions, Cox added, should “go to California.”
While Republican governors have been broadly supportive of Trump’s efforts to quell violence in Los Angeles, which included the activation of thousands of National Guardsmen and hundreds of Marines in the city, Democratic governors have accused the president of inflaming tensions by federalizing the situation.
This week, all Democratic governors signed a joint letter opposing Trump’s response, writing that they “stand” with Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), who had urged the president not to send in troops.
“Governors are the Commanders in Chief of their National Guard and the federal government activating them in their own borders without consulting or working with a state’s governor is ineffective and dangerous,” the Democratic governors wrote.
Still, ahead of possible protests in their states this weekend, some Democratic governors sounded a warning note to would-be rioters.
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“You have the right to protest. You have the right to protest peacefully. You protest peacefully, you enhance the cause, and people listen to your message,” Gov. Ned Lamont (D-CT) told reporters Tuesday. “If the protests turn violent, sometimes that’s distracting from your message.”
“There are a lot of Twitter entreaties to ramp up the nature of the protests right now. I understand the frustration there is out there. Whatever you do, do it peacefully. We’ll be there to keep you safe,” he added.
