Michael Steele writes:

In recent days, Republican leaders have warned darkly about the “No Kings” national protests scheduled for Saturday.

Speaker Mike Johnson called it a “hate-America rally” that will ​​draw “the pro-Hamas wing” of the Democratic Party and “the antifa people.” House Republican Whip Tom Emmer claimed that “you’ll see the hate for America all over this thing when they show up” for the rally. Sen. Roger Marshall claimed protesters were being paid and suggested the National Guard might need to show up.

Trust me when I say these comments aren’t spontaneous. When I was chairman of the Republican National Committee, I sat in countless meetings where we carefully crafted the talking points for the week, fine-tuning the language so everyone from local lawmakers to friendly cable news pundits could stay on message.

But when we did that, it was to keep someone from upending the party message by saying something unhinged. This time, the unhinged comments are the message.

Organizers of the “No Kings” protests have a simple message: America is a democracy, not a dictatorship. It’s right there in the name of the rally. So it’s bizarre to see Republican leaders seek in advance to paint this as dangerous, unpatriotic astroturfing. Even the word protest comes with negative connotations; so it’s important we don’t fall into the messaging trap the GOP is setting, or worse, repeat their language. It’s one thing for Americans to protest a government policy; it’s quite another to stand up for justice, defend the rule of law and demand accountability on behalf of their country — just as our founders did 250 years ago. Whether opposing King George or a wannabe king named Trump, our civic resolve to protect this fragile experiment remains the same.

But Trump-era Republicans do not want to govern for the American people anymore. They want a king. The same party that once celebrated individual liberty and limited government now demands loyalty to a single leader, punishes dissent and attacks the free press. Which is why any unrest this weekend will be used to justify further erosion of our civil liberties. But the protesters gathering on Saturday know this. They are not radicals; nor are they a dangerous threat except to those who seek to strangle Freedom of Speech. They are citizens who refuse to accept authoritarianism as the new normal. They see what Donald Trump is doing to this country, the division, the contempt for law, the cruelty disguised as strength, and they are choosing to push back in the most American way possible: through peaceful assembly to express, promote and defend to their rights under our Constitution. [Continue reading…]