Republican leaders say the wave of left-wing “No Kings” protests held in Washington and other cities on Saturday is contributing to Democrats’ reluctance to reach a deal to reopen the government.

House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, and other GOP lawmakers argue that Democratic leaders are attempting to demonstrate to their liberal base that they are standing firm against former President Trump and are therefore unlikely to make concessions before the nationwide demonstrations on Saturday.

“For many of our Democrat colleagues, tomorrow is about creating, really, a spectacle,” Johnson said during a press conference Friday. “That’s what they’ve been doing here every day of the shutdown, with their little TikTok videos and their publicity stunts, and they’re going to do it in a much larger venue tomorrow.

“As the shutdown drags on, it’s becoming increasingly clear that this spectacle is the reason the Democrats have refused to reopen the government,” he added.

He said the “No Kings” organizers “distributed talking points cheering on the shutdown. I mean, they’re urging this on. They love this.”