FFRF Action Fund’s “Theocrat of the Week” is Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., for deriding the recent “No Kings” protests as an “I Hate America Rally” and singling out the participation of nonreligious groups.
More than 7 million Americans joined 2,500 “No Kings” rallies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia over the weekend to stand up for democracy in the face of autocratic developments. The rallies are in response to numerous attacks on free speech and executive overreach from the Trump administration.
Barrasso delivered a speech on the Senate floor last Thursday, falsely portraying the upcoming “No Kings” protests and the Democratic Party’s ties to “far-left activist groups.” Barrasso said: “We just heard from the Minority Leader [Chuck Schumer] on the floor, inviting people to attend these rallies, to participate in the — what I and other [sic] have referred to as the ‘I Hate America Rally.’ He is a cheerleader for these far-left activist groups and their causes.”
Barrasso continued, “All these rallies are going to be led by the far-left activists, and all will be calling on the Democrats to keep the government closed. And the Democrats in this body are beholden to every single one of these far-left activist groups. Groups like #ResistTrump and American Atheists.”
In actuality, the “No Kings” website lists more than 250 nonprofits that are considered “Partners,” meaning that the groups, including FFRF Action Fund and its parent organization, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, support the mission of the rallies. In fact, FFRF got a prominent shoutout as a co-sponsor from USA Today: “Indivisible is among the groups supporting more than 2,500 rallies around the country. Others include the American Civil Liberties Union, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the Human Rights Campaign and Planned Parenthood.”
It is reprehensible that Barrasso is atheist-baiting and attempting to stigmatize groups that advocate for the rights of freethinkers and the constitutional separation of state and church.
As American Atheists President Nick Fish told Friendly Atheist, “The simple presence of atheists, to some of these people, is viewed as un-American. There’s nothing more American than protesting our leaders and demanding better.”
Shaming the peaceful “No Kings” rallies and their partnership with nonreligious groups as un-American has earned Barrasso his “Theocrat” title. Under our secular and godless Constitution, U.S. citizens may have any religion or none at all — and it should not be socially acceptable to treat nonreligious Americans like second-class citizens. FFRF Action Fund will continue to fight for the rights of freethinkers as the Trump administration attacks free speech, fuels executive overreach and peddles Christian nationalism.
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.