I have big news today for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who maligned millions of loyal citizens by calling their weekend demonstrations the “Hate America” rallies.
Last Saturday, I went to the rally on Reisterstown Road in Owings Mills, the one two doors down from Elon Musk’s Tesla dealership, and I stayed for a couple of hours and listened to scores of people talking about the awful things Donald Trump is doing to this country.
And I didn’t hear a single person express hatred for America.
Not one.
And I watched the cable news channels and looked at the signs and heard the comments from demonstrators from across the entire nation and world.
And not once did I hear a single person express hatred for America.
Not one.
In Owings Mills and elsewhere, they expressed their love for the compassionate, embracing America we’ve always treasured, and their grief over where this country is headed under President Trump and his sycophants, and the hunger to take back our America.
President Trump and Speaker Johnson, and the rest of their lapdogs, can call it the “Hate America” rally all they want. They know better. But if they insist on telling themselves there was hatred out there in hundreds of cities, and millions were filling the streets with it, then they’d better ask themselves a simple question.
Why?
“I don’t want to lose our democracy,” said Lisa Levin, demonstrating just outside the little shopping area in front of the Owings Mills Jersey Mike’s and Dunkin’ Donuts.
“I’m worried about my grandchildren,” she said. “I’m going to the rally in Towson after this. I don’t know what to do except this. You know, my son fought in Iraq. When I think of what he went through for this country, and now America has come to this …”
She turned away as her voice gave out.
Another woman wore a baseball cap that read, “Army Mom.” She gave her name as Hazel but couldn’t say her last name because she’s originally from South Africa and Trump’s agents are pulling immigrants off the streets. She left South Africa because of apartheid there, and the hatred and divisiveness built on it.
“The soldiers in the streets, the government telling us what we can read, the hatred,” she said. “It’s here now. It’s a slow process, until it’s taken over your life.”
In Owings Mills on Saturday, almost everyone carried anti-Trump signs. They lined Reistersown Road from the Tesla dealership all the way to Crossroads Drive, both sides of the street, as passing car horns honked in solidarity.
One sign read: “Dear World, We Are So Sorry. Love, The Sane Americans.”
Another read: “Fight Truth Decay.”
Those like Trump and Johnson will do their best to twist the truth. But this was millions of grieving people telling each other that they’re not alone in their revulsion for the criminal takeover of their country.
“I hate hearing it when they say this is about hating America,” said Lou Leikach, a retired Social Security programmer. “This is America, and we’re losing it. I had to come out and say something.”
His was just one voice lining the streets. But there were thousands more all over Maryland, and millions more in cities all over America. And there’s at least one discernible skill Trump has. He can count. This is only the latest confirmation that millions of people believe he’s taking away their country.
Some Republicans have gone beyond the absurd “Hate America” rhetoric. They’ve claimed the demonstrations have been infiltrated by Antifa, the array of far-left anti-fascist groups.
To mark the absurdity of the claim, a woman at the Owings Mills rally wore a printed sweatshirt that read, “Aunt Tifa.”
Maybe that’s what the Republicans are talking about.
A former Baltimore Sun columnist and WJZ-TV commentator, Michael Olesker is the author of six books, including “Journeys to the Heart of Baltimore” (Johns Hopkins University Press) and “Michael Olesker’s Baltimore: If You Live Here, You’re Home” (Johns Hopkins University).
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