St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her’s recent comments on WBUR’s Here and Now perfectly encapsulate the hypocrisy bubbling up from blue-city leadership amid escalating protests. Responding to queries about increasingly aggressive demonstrators disrupting operations, Her preached the standard line: People should be peaceful and can’t interfere, urging protesters to stay lawful. But then she pivoted straight to finger-wagging at President Trump, claiming he’s setting the tone for the reception that they’re going to get from law enforcement. It’s a classic deflection—hold the rabble to rules while implying the real villain is the guy in the White House who dares to back cops enforcing them. This isn’t just sloppy rhetoric; it’s a subtle nod to the double standard where left-wing unrest gets a pass as mostly peaceful, but any pushback is framed as authoritarian.
For the 2A community, this is a flashing red light on the escalating tensions between street-level chaos and Second Amendment rights. Her’s words echo the playbook from 2020’s riots, where mayors like her in Minneapolis-St. Paul infamously told police to stand down, letting Antifa and BLM torch precincts and businesses while armed citizens stepped up with AR-15s to protect their neighborhoods (remember the armed rooftop defenders in Kenosha?). Now, as protests ramp up again—fueled by whatever grievance du jour—Her’s Trump-blaming sets the stage for blaming right-wing militias if self-defense turns the tide. It’s no coincidence: when peaceful crowds start hurling bricks and Molotovs, the implication is clear that armed citizens responding in kind will be painted as the aggressors, courtesy of leaders who greenlight interference until it suits their narrative.
The implications for gun owners are stark—brace for weaponized rhetoric that criminalizes protection. If Trump’s tone is the problem, imagine the smears when 2A patriots show up lawfully armed to safeguard lives and property. This is why vigilance matters: stock your mags, train hard, and document everything, because mayors like Her are already laying the PR groundwork to disarm the defenders while excusing the disruptors. The right to keep and bear arms isn’t just about hunting or sport; it’s the ultimate check against the selective lawlessness she’s enabling. Stay frosty, 2A fam—history shows these tones turn to sirens fast.
