In California, many protesters had a dual purpose: To oppose the president and to express support for Proposition 50, a ballot measure proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom that would redistrict the state to favor Democratic candidates. An oceanside human banner in Newsom’s former home town of San Francisco urged voters to approve the measure, as did signs held by protesters in Los Angeles and other California cities.
Few Republican leaders addressed the protests, and those who did were dismissive. Speaking with Fox News, Speaker Mike Johnson said “I encourage you to series – we call it the ‘hate America’ rally – that will happen Saturday. Let’s see who shows up for that.” Meanwhile, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded “Who cares?” when asked about the event by NPR.
FDA employee Anthony Lee, who spoke with trade publication Government Executive from the D.C. rally, might have an answer for both Jackson and Johnson. “The more people we can get out to events like this, the better that the public can understand what’s at stake,” he said. “The desired impact is to get the public engaged in their democracy to push back on what’s been happening, which is the dismantling of our government institutions and our public services.”
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