Demonstrators across the country have begun to gather in protest of President Trump and his Saturday military parade.
Thousands of “No Kings” protests are planned as Washington hosts the 250th anniversary of the Army in Washington on Saturday, where hundreds of thousands are expected to gather.
Trump, ahead of Saturday’s event, warned protesters they would be met with “a very big force” if they demonstrate at the Washington parade.
Meanwhile, in Minnesota, former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D) was assassinated in in what Gov. Tim Walz (D) described as a “politically motivated” attack. Some protests in the state have already been canceled due to safety concerns.
“Our state lost a great leader, and I lost a dearest friend,” Walz added, urging Minnesotans to skip protests on Saturday in a subsequent social media post.
This all comes as the Trump administration has its attention focused on unrest in the Middle East. The president and top defense officials are closely monitoring the situation after Israel launched a series of attacks on Iran late Thursday.
Tehran retaliated on Friday with strikes of its own and by signaling they could withdraw from an expected sixth round of nuclear talks with the U.S. The tit-for-tat attacks continued into Saturday.
Follow along for the latest updates in Washington, across the country and abroad below.