If Trump was king, do you think you would be allowed to protest here?
Watch Eve talk to NO KINGS protesters on the legality of deportations, the value of the First Amendment, and the importance of peaceful dialogue.
“If Trump was a king, do you think you would be allowed to protest here?”
This is a simple question I asked a “No-Kings” protester with which he responded, “Absolutely not.”
This very conversation crushes the entire point of the protest. “No Kings” protesters march for a movement that fights against a supposed tyrannical monarchy, while also enjoying the benefits of the first amendment that our very laws provide for them. However, it also creates a conversation. Because while you want to disagree with every point they make, it shows you how important it is to try and find common ground and agree on something.
In the wise words of Charlie Kirk, founder of TurningPoint USA, and one of the most influential patriots and martyrs of our generation, he told us, “When people stop talking, that’s when you get violence.”
If you are a conservative student and have the opportunity to speak with someone who is opposed to your political beliefs, instead of debating them to win the argument, the goal should be to try to find shared principles.
Here are a few ways you can respond to claims made by leftists regarding the “no-kings” topic to create a conversation instead of engaging in heated discourse:
Ask them what issue they care most about
The first question I asked each protester was simple and straight to the point.
“I see you are out here protesting against no kings, what issues or policies specifically do you have an issue with?”
While this may seem like a “dumb” question, you would be surprised how many could not explain what they were protesting about. While many responded with having issues with the deportation of illegal immigrants, some shocked me in their response.
“I can’t think of any Trump policy I am in favor of.” or “Anything that Trump is for I’m against.”
I then proceeded to ask the question again nicely. Once you understand the root of the problem, then you can find the common ground within that issue.
Legal vs illegal immigration
The most common argument I heard about deportations was:
“How is it fair that someone who has been in this country for 5 or 15 years and is a good citizen and contributes to society be deported back to their home country?”
I responded from my own personal experience:
“How is it fair that my sister-in-law, who is Korean, had to wait in line for 9 years to come here legally, yet an illegal immigrant breaks the rules, skips the line, and gets to say in the country?”
This shifts from not having a lack of sympathy, but about following the law. It shows the person you are talking to that legal immigrants struggled too, but they followed the rules. Why would a person be allowed to ignore the law?
Were the Iran strikes unconstitutional?
Another common grievance raised at the protest involved foreign policy, specifically regarding military action in Iran. One lady cited Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution, arguing that the President acted like a king by bypassing Congress and taking military action without a formal declaration of war. While only Congress holds the power to formally declare war, Article II, Section 2 designates the President as the Commander in Chief, which gives him the right to deploy military forces for specific, isolated, strategic strikes.
This is why it’s important to know the actual text and use that knowledge to move the conversation away from emotional accusations of tyranny and toward a factual discussion about the separation of powers.
The legality of deportations
Many protesters claimed the current administration is tyrannical by violating the 14th Amendment. It states that all people born or naturalized in the US are citizens. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), they made a detailed list addressing all the claims the media made about “US citizens” who were supposedly deported.
For example, when it comes to children of illegal immigrants, the parents are given the choice to ‘self-deport’ and can bring their children with them or not, and it doesn’t have to come to violent separation. Another example would be college students from Columbia University, like Leqaa Kordia, who were arrested and deported. However, these students were deported because they were living in the United States past their visa expirations for years, therefore breaking the law. Many of these protesters simply read headlines and never research. By providing facts from trusted sources like DHS, you can present them with accurate information.
Chasing unity and truth
The next time you are in a debate with a protester or someone left-leaning about these issues, remember these tips to help find common ground and create unity. President Ronald Reagan said, “Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.” It is vital to understand the laws of this country and know how to combat false narratives conveyed by the mainstream media.
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