George Conway, a conservative lawyer and prominent critic of President Donald Trump, railed against authoritarianism in a video released Monday in anticipation of the return of “No Kings” protests nationwide.
Demonstrations are set to take place on Saturday after rallies were held across the country in June to protest Trump and his policies, coinciding with his 79th birthday and his large military parade for the Army’s 250th anniversary in Washington, D.C.
Ahead of the demonstrations, which are planned in every state, Conway took aim at Trump, describing authoritarianism as a “cancer” while arguing that “the symptoms are here, today.”
Conway pointed to the increased immigration crackdown, the deployment of the National Guard into cities, the sudden suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show and the “threatening and prosecuting” of the president’s perceived political enemies, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“We thought it couldn’t happen here,” Conway said in a video posted by the nonprofit Home of the Brave on X. “Other places? Sure. Italy in the ‘20s, where fascism was born. Chile, Russia, Venezuela, Hungary.”
Conway continued: “And now, the disease is growing. The cancer, metastasizing, in America.”
Conway said there is a “cure” — which ultimately “requires you.”
“Show them you’re not afraid. Do it for the country, for the Constitution, for your family, for yourself,” he said, before adding: “Do it for your freedom, while you still can.”
According to the No Kings website, protesters are gathering to demonstrate that “America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people.” The group previously helped organize 1,800 rallies over the summer.
“The president thinks his rule is absolute,” the website reads. “But in America, we don’t have kings and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty.”
There are upcoming protests planned in major cities, including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Kansas City, the movement’s website indicates. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal employee union, encouraged its members earlier this month to take part amid “new urgency” due to the government shutdown, which stretched into Day 13 on Monday.
House Speaker Mike Johnson slammed the planned protests during an interview with Fox News on Friday, describing the demonstration set for D.C. as a “hate America rally” filled with “all the pro-Hamas wing and the antifa people.”
“Some of the House Democrats are selling t-shirts for the event,” Johnson said. “And it’s being told to us that they won’t be able to reopen the government until after that rally cause they can’t face their rabid base. I mean, this is serious business hurting real people.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox Business early Monday that the protests are “really frustrating.”
“This is part of antifa, paid protesters,” Duffy also claimed. “It begs the question, who’s funding it?”
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