On Saturday, Senator Reverend Warnock joined thousands of Georgians, blocks away from the Gold Dome, for the Atlanta No Kings rally
The Atlanta rally was one of more than 3,000 protests worldwide, which together drew 8 million people across the U.S.
During his speech, Senator Warnock highlighted some of his to push back against Donald Trump, his administration, and Washington Republicans
Senator Reverend Warnock: “In this moral moment in America, in this defining season, we the people determine what kind of country we intend to be”
Senator Warnock speaking during Atlanta’s No Kings rally
Washington, D.C. – On Saturday, Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) joined thousands from across Georgia for the third Atlanta No Kings rally. Before the crowd began their organized march across the city, Senator Warnock delivered a speech highlighting his recent efforts to stand up to Donald Trump, his administration, and Washington Republicans.
“On the one hand, we’re dealing with Donald Trump’s version of ICE, and on the other hand, we’re dealing with the so-called SAVE Act. […] I want you to know that I’ve been on the floor of the Senate all week fighting Donald Trump, tooth and nail, on the SAVE Act,” said Senator Warnock.
Senator Warnock referenced his faith as a reason he felt compelled to speak at the protest and against actions the current administration is taking:
“As a pastor, part of what pains me in this moment is that too often it is religious voices that are among the meanest voices in our country… When you see me stand up, know that I stand under our laws and in my faith. And I refuse to give in, because this idea of having a human king — of aggregating to a human being the things that do not belong to human beings, that belong to God — is for me a spiritual project, when I affirm the dignity of all human beings.”
Saturday marked the third No Kings rally since Donald Trump was sworn into office in January 2025. The Atlanta rally was one of more than 3,000 No Kings protests worldwide, which together drew 8 million people across the U.S.
A transcription of Senator Warnock’s full speech is below:
“In this moral moment in America, in this defining season, when we, the people, determine what kind of country we intend to be.
Our nation has a complicated history. All families have a complicated story. But I believe in the American creed. This American experiment, when you consider the long arc of human history, is the exception, and not the rule. That this is not how power usually works in human history. This idea of a government for the people, by the people, of the people, is a radical idea. I often say that democracy is the political enactment of a spiritual idea.
That all of us have dignity. That each of us has value. That each of us has within ourselves a glimpse of the light. That all of us are children of God, and that makes all of us sisters and brothers; red, yellow, purple, Black, and white. Rich and poor, male and female, gay and straight, we are all children of a mighty God.
We the people!
That’s not just the first three words on our founding documents. It is a creed! E. Pluribus Unum, “Out of many, one.” And while they place those ideals in our documents, we have always had to fight for them. When they said, “We the people,” They didn’t include me. In that sense, they didn’t include women. Members of the LGBTQ community had to stand up and say, us too, me too. We’ve always had to work to make America become who it says it is. But I don’t know about you, but I am deeply honored that I get to be in the fight. That I get to push, and prod, and be in the arc towards justice.
And so, know that you are doing great, and grand spiritual work this morning. And I mean that in the largest and grandest sense. God is known by many names, worshiped in many houses. There are those of you who claim no particular faith tradition, at all, but you affirm with me that each of us has within us the light. That we have dignity, right? That we have values.
And I have to say that as a pastor, part of what pains me in this moment is that too often it is religious voices that are among the meanest voices in our country. And they use religion as yet another tool in the autocratic project. In the project of domination. I have to say, as a Christian, that I don’t know who this Jesus is that they’re talking about. I’ve read the gospels my whole life. I do not recognize this racist, sexist, homophobic Jesus who hates the poor.
The poor man who rose up and said, “I came to preach good news to the poor, and open the eyes to the blind, and set the Baptist free,” is a victim of identity theft. So, when you see me stand up, know that I stand under our laws and in my faith. And I refuse to give in, because this idea of having a human king, of aggregating to a human being, the things that do not belong to human beings, that belong to God, is for me a spiritual project, when I affirm the dignity of all human beings. That is the work that all of us are called to do. We the people, have a radical idea. Are you ready to stand up for our democracy?
So, all of that came into clear focus for me this week, as I was engaged, and I remain engaged in a fight, and there are many issues that I can talk about, but two came into sharp focus this week. Can I talk about it for just a moment?
On the one hand, we’re dealing with Donald Trump’s version of ICE, and on the other hand, we’re dealing with the so-called SAVE Act. And I want to thank you, Georgia, that because you elected me, I have the high honor of speaking for you, and I want you to know that I’ve been on the floor of the Senate all week fighting Donald Trump, tooth and nail, on the SAVE Act.
I went to Minneapolis a few weeks ago. I know I represent the people of Georgia; I am clear about who I represent, but Dr. King told us that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere,” and so I had to go to Minneapolis. Because what they were practicing there, they intend to export it all over our country.
While I was in Minneapolis, I stood where Renee Good lost her life. I stood where Alex Pretti was executed on them. And because all of these things are ultimately connected, I stood where George Floyd met the same fate. When I came back from Minneapolis, having stood on what I call holy ground, ground concentrated by the blood of Alex Pretti, and by the blood of Renee Good, and the blood of so many. I came back, and I was there clear about one thing. I will not vote to give ICE another single dime! I will need all my colleagues to hold them accountable.
So, we got back, and we said to our Republican friends, we understand what Homeland Security is about. The Coast Guard is under Homeland Security. FEMA is under Homeland Security. All of these things under Homeland Security, we’re ready to fund what is necessary, but you’ve already given ICE $75 billion dollars. Let me put that into perspective for you, when they gave ICE $75 billion dollars, billion with a B, in the one Big Ugly Bill they made ICE bigger than the Marines. Think about that. They made ICE bigger than the Marines. They made ICE bigger than all the federal law enforcement agencies combined. ICE is bigger than the FBI, the AGF, the DEA, and the U.S. Marshals Service combined.
And I’m afraid that a wannabe king who is busy building himself and his billionaires a ballroom, intends to use ICE as his own private army to do his bidding, to make him king, but he is not a king. This is our land; this belongs to we the people.
And these powers that he arrogates to himself, these buildings that he tries to put his name on, these things no longer belong to him, than that fake Nobel Peace Prize that he asked somebody to give him.
So, we said, we’re not going to fund what you’re doing. We need basic, we need reforms. ICE has to behave like how all of the other police departments are demanded to behave.
Then they came with the SAVE Act. The SAVE Act is not about saving our democracy. It’s about saving their power at all costs. Donald Trump said this is his number one priority. Why is it his number one priority? Because he knows that the American people are sick and tired again, and we intend to hold his foot soldiers in Congress accountable come November. You are going to hear from the people come November! Are you ready to raise your voice this coming November?!
And so, I stood up, and we stood up this week, and we said no SAVE Act. This is about voter suppression. You’re trying to make it difficult for women to vote, and for poor people to vote, and for young people to vote, and for poor rural people in red districts, where they have cut their SNAP and cut their Medicaid; you’re trying to make it difficult for the American people to vote, but come November we are going to hold you accountable.
And so that’s the work, my beloved, we must do. And as I close, and no one believes a Baptist preacher when he says as I close. We usually have four or five closings. I only have one.
But you know, I’m Georgia. I grew up in Savannah. My dad’s from Burke County. My mom was from Waycross. I like to talk about Waycross, Georgia. You know where that is? Way across Georgia. I spent summer days and nights with my grandparents, and I remember being with my grandmother in her garden in Waycross, Georgia. One day, we were moving around her garden, and we looked up, and a snake was moving around in the garden. And I was a seven-year-old kid, six years old, whatever age I was, and that snake made me nervous. Grew up in the city, I wasn’t used to seeing that. My grandmother, strong woman that she was, it didn’t even faze her. She just took an axe and in no time, flash, she said Boop. Chopped the snake’s head off. But when she chopped off the head of the snake, the snake began to move even more violently. He began to shake, and that made me even more nervous, because I felt like he was coming in my direction. What I didn’t understand as a little kid was that as I was witnessing the violent, desperate movements of the snake, that snake was moving in the way that it was moving, not because it was living, but because it was dying.
That’s why they elected Donald Trump in the first place; he represents the violent gesticulations of an old order that is destined to die. The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice. Evil always goes too far and has within itself the seed of its own destruction. It’s our job to stand up and be that truth.
Are you ready to be true? Are you ready to be light? Are you ready to stand together? Are you ready to fight together? Are you ready to vote together, until we win?
We the people!
We the people!
We the people!”
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