Elections and Politics Brief #187 | Morgan Davidson | July 6, 2025
I sat down with Kyle Rable to learn more about the No Kings! protests. Kyle is a new father, a Ph.D. candidate in History at Texas Tech, a U.S. Army Reserves Captain, a card-carrying union member, & self-described “hick-lib”; he is running for Congress in Congressional District 19 against Jodey Arrington. Kyle serves as Secretary for the Lubbock County Democrats and helps organize protests in Lubbock.
Our discussion focused on the No Kings! protests, specifically coming on the heels of the movement’s success, going back to Trump’s birthday & counterprotests to the military parade. It is estimated that there were over 5 million protesters across more than 2,100 locations. In Lubbock alone, there were over 600, estimated by LPD, to have engaged in the protests in the deep-red Trump+40 county. We discuss the behind-the-scenes organizing, impact, implications, future, and even touch on immigration, given my other work here at U.S. Resist News.
Kyle is running against Rep. Arrington, who is a key Trump ally & instrumental in passing the “Big Beautiful Bill” that guts Medicaid, & rural health care, which are key to the people in District 19. In Texas, it is crucial to have energetic challengers up & down the ballot to incumbent Republicans who have taken Texans for granted for too long. Mr. Arrington can rely on a war chest of upwards of $ 2 million and on PACs to fund his campaign. My friend, Kyle Rable, needs our help. Please visit https://www.rableforwesttexas.com/ and consider making a donation or sharing his information to help us give power back to West Texans, not special interests in D.C.
Analysis
One of the things I was interested in was how a place like Lubbock gets involved in these large national movements, particularly those that are aligned with the left. Don’t be mistaken, Lubbock has a metropolitan population of over 360,000 people. That said, the people here revel in the rural makeup of West Texas and have deeply conservative beliefs. Kyle mentions people like Doreen, who first reached out about the protests emerging from the 50501 movement. Then, he and others, such as Kim Gonzalez, a community organizer and member of the Texas Democratic Executive Committee, were able to help make things happen.
This grassroots organization in Lubbock gets into the roots of how movements like this & other No Kings! protests emerge nationally. While the rallying cry is at the national level through things like 50501, it takes members of the local community to organize & rally others without outside funds or assistance. These things start at the local level and get connected to the national level after the effort and organizing have occurred.
This localized approach is key to the movement’s goals in Lubbock. When I asked Kyle about the purpose behind organizing these protests in Lubbock, a big part of it is awareness. Kyle says- “People in West Texas feel alone & don’t like what they see” in reference to the current administration’s policies. Rable continues- “There are no blue dots in West Texas,” and that “There’s people who don’t know there is a community.” In the Red Sea, that is CD 19, raising awareness, showing people that there is a community, is a key component of these protests. With candidates like Kyle & organization by local advocates like Kim, the blue dots that are missing in West Texas should begin popping up, helping people find community, get involved in their localities, & hopefully start getting people to run up & down the ballot.
One critique I keep seeing about the protest movements is that they are too broad. Even those on the left, like Tommy Vietor of Crooked Media, were critical of the Palestinian flags at the protests in L.A. surrounding the actions of ICE, which led to the deployment of Marines by President Trump in a U.S. city. When I asked Kyle how he would respond to similar critiques, he mentioned that “In the 60’s & 70’s change didn’t just happen on one pinpoint issue”. He highlights how the fight for civil rights tied itself to other movements like workers’ rights & ending the war in Vietnam. Rable says, “When you have a big coalition like the Democrats have, you have to offer room”. He continues- “It can be arguing for the end of Tyranny from the Trump administration to the end of bombing Palestine & those are intrinsically related I believe & that’s why there is room for everyone at those protests.”
One thing I was interested in asking Kyle about was the branding of the No Kings! protests. Given his background in History, he was quick to tie it back to core ideas of the founding & why it resonates nationally & in red areas like Lubbock. He mentions that the AI image Trump released of himself dressed as a King with the White House posting on X, “LONG LIVE THE KING!” Given the imagery & the policies emerging from Washington, it isn’t hard to see what people do not like about this administration across the nation & in deep West Texas, which Rable notes is quite different from the swamp in D.C. that Trump & Arrington roll around in. On a personal note, Rable says he likes the historical ties & that “I’m not going to bend a knee; I bend a knee to God & not much else.” This blend of patriot, believer, & activist is why I believe that Rable is right for West Texas.
When asked about the long-term goals of the protest movement, whether that’s a cultural shift or purely aimed at the 2026 midterms, Rable mentions that it can be both. He says we need to have hard discussions where people can come together & say we don’t like what we see happening & demand better. Kyle says, “The most American thing you can do is protest your government, in my opinion.” In terms of shifts at the leadership level, Rable goes on to say, “We need people who actually want to represent their constituents, not billion-dollar pacts.” These cultural shifts will shape 2026 & beyond if these movements can achieve them. Electing leaders like Rable, rather than politicians like Arrington, is key to giving power back to the people, not special interests.
That said, can these movements actually bring about these changes? I asked about possible impacts we have seen or should be aware of. For instance, we have seen that Elon Musk has taken a step back from the Trump administration & even attacked the President on his social media platform X. Additionally, we have seen Trump’s approval rating take hits since the No Kings! protests started. Rable says he thinks that these protests have a direct negative effect on Musk’s influence & Trump’s approval, saying, “its a net positive to change a President’s opinion, if you can, through protests” linking the possibility to historical examples with LBJ & Nixon.
Those examples tie into Rable’s response to a question I posed about what he would say to those who feel discouraged with the political process, feel that protests don’t work, or that change doesn’t happen fast enough. Rable mentions that it is important to get out there to show others the positive impacts protests can have, the change they can make, & further build that community just like others in the past have done. Further, he says, “if you are frustrated with the pace, not only should you protest, but you should go down to your local parties” and find ways to get involved, from volunteering, attending local meetings, serving as a precinct chair, to running yourself.
Shifting to immigration, I was eager to ask Kyle about this. Immigration & Trump’s immigration policies are key to the protest movements around the country. They are also key to my work here & to West Texans in Kyle’s district. I asked about his stances, policy-wise & philosophically. Rable says- “Our immigration system is flawed… & needs to be revamped”. Like all Americans, Rable has a family history with immigration. His family came from Italy & Poland to the U.S. & some of them served in the armed forces. Rable acknowledges that a country needs a strong border but that this nation “was & still needs to be built by immigrants”. Rable highlights the challenges facing people getting here legally from time to money & that under the current administration, the challenges have only gotten more difficult. Philosophically, Rable leans into his Catholic roots, saying- “there is no stranger in the land that you are if you are a christian & therefore the person who is your neighbor is your neighbor regardless of status.” Again he highlights the need for reform in the process highlighting that we need workers & that we need to make it easier not harder for these people to get here. He speaks to the humanness of these people that are often left out of right-wing discussions on immigrants, highlighting that these people are people & not these evil caricatures found on FOX. Rable says, “Anyone that is a worker is my brother & sister.”
When asked for final comments, Kyle reiterated his commitment to fighting for the working class & West Texans. Specifically, he says- “I’ll reimphasize the need for us all to consolidate & realize the most important things to uplift workers & the working class. Expanding access to medicare, medicaid, social security, & the VA because at the end of the day the best way to help America is to help a worker. If you are a card carrying AFL-CIO member, you are my brother & sister. If you are an immigrant working any job you’re my brother & sister and we need to refocus on that. Also, you need to get involved with your local party. If you can, you should run for something regardless of what it is because it’s time that West Texas, all of Texas, has someone to vote for with a D next to their name.”
If you enjoyed getting to know Kyle and his work in Lubbock or simply want to help fight against Trump’s agenda, please consider visiting his website, making a donation, or getting involved. My friend, Kyle Rable, is up against big money and deep-rooted power, but he’s not running alone. Even something as little as $5 or $10 helps him get around West Texas and get his message out. Again, you can check out his page here- https://www.rableforwesttexas.com/.
Engagement Resources
- 50501: A protest movement organizing nationwide actions against the Trump administration.
- https://www.fiftyfifty.one/
- Rable for West Texas: This is a link to Kyle’s candidate site, specifically, his donation page!- https://www.rableforwesttexas.com/donate
- Protest Sign Ideas: Here is a Reddit link affiliated with 50501 where you can discover ideas for protest signs
- https://www.reddit.com/r/50501/comments/1jkpz02/fun_impactful_protest_sign_ideas/