Sen. Sampson Issues Message to ‘No Kings’ Day Crowds

Sen. Sampson Issues Message to ‘No Kings’ Day Crowds

Sen. Sampson: If you truly believe in freedom, then join me in standing up to the real authoritarians—the ones writing mandates, silencing dissent, and ruling by decree.

HARTFORD – Senior Deputy Senate Republican Leader Rob Sampson (R-Wolcott) today issued a message to the “No Kings” Day crowds slated to gather this weekend in Connecticut. Sen. Sampson argued that these demonstrations miss the mark in addressing the unchecked power that the attendees claim to oppose.

“So, Progressives are celebrating ‘No Kings’ Day this weekend to stand against authoritarianism? Good. I’m glad to see them finally opposing unchecked power. But they’re looking in the wrong direction.

“The real authoritarianism in America today isn’t coming from kings, or Republicans. It’s coming from the modern Democrat Party—and their allies in blue-state governments like Connecticut. Let’s talk about what authoritarianism actually looks like:

Forced business closures—while big box stores and liquor outlets stayed open.

Churches shuttered by executive order, while casinos stayed lit.

Stay-at-home orders and travel bans that treated law-abiding citizens like criminals.

Mask mandates and vaccine requirements for children—threatening parents with school exclusion if they didn’t comply.

Workers fired for declining a shot. Students banned from class.

Censorship of political and scientific dissent—with the federal government colluding with Facebook to silence anything they called ‘misinformation.’

Cancel culture targeting people who dared to disagree with the narrative.

Speech codes and DEI-driven policies that discriminate based on race and ideology.

Efforts to criminalize opinion—misgender someone and you might be punished.

‘Misinformation Czars’ deciding what truths you’re allowed to say out loud.

Gun bans, magazine limits, and lawsuits designed to bankrupt lawful manufacturers.

Illegal immigrants prioritized over citizens for housing, benefits, and legal protection.

And a bloated, top-down bureaucracy that passes rules without votes and treats every citizen as guilty until proven innocent.

This isn’t freedom. This is the quiet rise of soft tyranny—and in places like Connecticut, it’s already law.

Meanwhile, Republicans—especially conservatives like me—have spent years standing up for free speech, medical freedom, religious liberty, the right to defend yourself, and the right to live without government breathing down your neck.

We are the real civil libertarians. We always have been.

So let’s be honest: Accusing Republicans of authoritarianism is like accusing firefighters of arson. It’s absurd. It’s dishonest. And it’s exactly backward.

To the ‘No Kings’ crowd: If you truly believe in freedom, join me in standing up to the real authoritarians—the ones writing mandates, silencing dissent, and ruling by decree.

Let’s end the hypocrisy. Let’s end the overreach. Let’s end the rule of kings—in every form,” said Sen. Sampson.