Americans are deeply divided on Donald Trump – and the protests.
A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only 40% approved of his performance as president, while 58% disapproved.
It is common for presidents to become more unpopular as their term wears on. Joe Biden had a 55% approval rating, according to Reuters/Ipsos, in January 2021. By October of that year, his approval had declined to 46%.
Some on the right dubbed have dubbed yesterday’s demonstrations the “hate America” rally – a position contested by those who participated on Saturday.
Speaking to the crowd in Washington, DC, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said “We’re not here because we hate America, we’re here because we love America”.
Senator Chris Murphy shared footage of the huge turnout in his home state of Connecticut: “Breathtaking. This is why today will likely go down as the biggest day of peaceful protest in our nation’s 250 year history.”
But Republican governors in several US states had placed National Guard troops on standby ahead of the protests.
“We’ll have to get the National Guard out,” Kansas Senator Roger Marshall said ahead of the rallies, according to CNN. “Hopefully it’ll be peaceful. I doubt it.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott activated his state’s National Guard, saying they would be needed due to the “planned antifa-linked demonstration” in Austin.
About 30,000 people attended the Austin protest, which remained peaceful.
Virginia’s Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin also ordered the state National Guard to be activated, though local reports said troops were not present during the protest.
