OPINION: The Hypocrisy of the "No Kings" Protests—When Local Democrats Rule Like Monarchs

OPINION: The Hypocrisy of the "No Kings" protests—When Local Democrats Rule Like Monarchs

By Logan Foster

On Saturday, Democrats across the country participated in the “No Kings” protests, a national demonstration against the Trump administration. They framed their participation as a defense of democracy. But while their attention was fixed on Washington D. C., a more immediate and insidious threat to democratic principles was ignored in their own community. To see this hypocrisy in action, look no further than South Bend, Indiana.

In South Bend, a city of roughly 103,000, the St. Joseph County Democratic Party doesn’t just hold power; it has an absolute monopoly. The Mayor, City Clerk, and all nine members of the Common Council are Democrats. This single-party rule has created an environment that looks less like a vibrant republic and more like the very autocracy the "No Kings" protesters claim to oppose. While they decry a "king" on the national stage, they have built a political kingdom in their own community. When you question public policy, public safety, or would like to schedule a meeting to discuss said topics with elected officials— Mayor James Mueller's office literally ejects you from the St. Joseph County-City Building. (Does that sound like open and transparent government, or does it sound like the thesis of the "No Kings" protest?)

The St. Joseph Democratic Party machine controls which policies advance, which scandals are addressed, and which are conveniently swept under the rug. Most notably: (1) The SJCDP downplaying South Bend Common Council Member Karen White calling for violence against President Donald Trump. (See Video)

(2) Turning a blind eye to credible evidence of potential election fraud by a South Bend Common Council Member, who may not have been legally eligible to hold office. (3) Remaining silent when another Council member assaulted a journalist for asking questions about city contracts that appeared to benefit said Council member.

(4) Dismissing documented allegations where a democratic State Senator sexually harassed a female employee and paid her $8,000.00 for her silence.

These are not minor political disputes; they are foundational challenges to accountability and transparency. Yet, these stories have been met with deafening silence from the local St. Joseph County Democratic Party leadership.

The hypocrisy is made even more stark by recent legislative efforts. One South Bend Council Member, Karen White, proposed an ordinance that would severely restrict free speech at Common Council meetings. The proposal, which drew a sharp rebuke from the ACLU of Indiana for its potential to enable viewpoint discrimination, vaguely sought to prohibit speakers from making comments that had already been made by others.

It is intellectually dishonest to "protest" against a perceived tyrant hundreds of miles away while tolerating (and enabling) the erosion of democratic norms at home. Participating in a "No Kings" protest while supporting the local St. Joseph County Democratic Party that stifles free speech and evades accountability is not a courageous act of civic engagement; it is an exercise in "political theater" (to infamously quote South Bend Mayor James Mueller).

The most pressing issues for most Americans are not just in the national headlines, but in the council chambers and city halls where decisions directly shape their lives. True democratic participation requires holding our own leaders to the standards we demand of others, regardless of party, especially when it is our own political party. Until citizens are willing to address the fixable problems and blatant hypocrisy in their own communities, these national protests will continue to ring hollow.

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