1. United States
2. Neb.
3. Letter

President Trump’s threat to use “very big force” against Americans planning peaceful protest at his birthday military parade is alarming and unconstitutional. Calling those who dissent “people that hate our country” is not leadership, it’s provocation. Peaceful protest is a protected right. The courts have upheld this for decades. Using force to silence dissent violates the First Amendment and the spirit of American democracy. Legal scholars across party lines have condemned this rhetoric. Threatening military-style crackdowns against citizens expressing political disagreement mirrors tactics used in authoritarian regimes, not free societies. Protesters at the “No Kings” demonstration are not violent actors. They are Americans standing for the core principles that define us: liberty, accountability, and rule of law. The use of intimidation and force against peaceful citizens cannot go unchecked. Congress must act to restrict unauthorized federal troop deployments on U.S. soil. If a president treats criticism as treason and orders military suppression of speech, he has crossed a line. The time for accountability is now. Impeachment should be on the table. Not because of politics, but because of principle. This is not what freedom looks like.