Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Ken Martin compared the U.S. to Iran on Sunday, accusing the government of crushing dissent, “killing protesters,” and “terrorizing” citizens.
Martin’s comments drew swift backlash after he linked ongoing unrest in Iran with protests in Minneapolis following a fatal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)-involved shooting, framing both as examples of state violence. Martin made the comparison in posts on X, where he said protesters in both countries were “rising up against systems that wield violence without accountability.”
“In Iran, brave protestors confront a far-right theocratic regime that crushes dissent and denies basic freedom,” Martin wrote. “Here at home, tens of thousands are marching after the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Good- demanding justice, transparency, and an end to an unchecked federal force that takes lives and tears families apart.”
“Solidarity across borders means opposing authoritarian power everywhere and defending the right to live free from fear and state violence,” Martin added.
From Tehran to my birthplace of Minneapolis, people are rising up against systems that wield violence without accountability.
In Iran, brave protestors confront a far-right theocratic regime that crushes dissent and denies basic freedoms. Here at home, tens of thousands are…
— Ken Martin (@kenmartin73) January 11, 2026
Iran has seen sustained anti-government protests, with security forces reportedly killing over 500 demonstrators and detaining thousands in an effort to suppress dissent.
The protests began in late December in response to Iran’s collapsing economy under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The regime has responded by violently cracking down on political opposition and accusing President Donald Trump of fomenting the uprising.
“Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Sunday.
Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, protests have erupted after an ICE officer fired multiple shots at 37-year-old Renee Good on Wednesday, who local and federal officials say was in the neighborhood to monitor ICE activity. Federal officials allege that Good tried to run over an ICE agent with her car before he opened fire.
Video footage showed agents approaching her car in the middle of the road and asking her to step out. The footage revealed that she then moved the car back, looked forward in the agent’s direction and quickly moved the car toward him.
Martin’s remarks quickly drew criticism, including from the Trump administration.
“In Iran, protesters are risking death fighting for freedom from a brutal Islamic terrorist regime. In Minneapolis, Radical Left lunatics and purple-haired schizos are melting down over law enforcement,” the administration posted on X. “The head of the Democrat Party thinks they are the same.”
Rather than walking back the comparison, however, Martin doubled down hours later with another post accusing the federal government of authoritarian conduct.
If comparing the U.S. to Iran makes you angry, ask why. Killing protesters. Crushing dissent. Kidnapping and disappearing legal citizens. Ignoring courts. Threatening critics. Terrorizing communities. That’s authoritarian behavior—anywhere. If you’re rushing to defend it, maybe… https://t.co/nh6krxBHul
— Ken Martin (@kenmartin73) January 11, 2026
“If comparing the U.S. to Iran makes you angry, ask why,” Martin wrote. “Killing protesters. Crushing dissent. Kidnapping and disappearing legal citizens. Ignoring courts. Threatening critics. Terrorizing communities. That’s authoritarian behavior—anywhere.”
“See you at the ballot box in 2026,” the DNC chairman later added.
Hey, MAGA ghoul, no one is ‘encouraging violence.’ We’re encouraging the rule of law. If that scares you, maybe stop defending people who break it like your failing President and his Barbie Homeland Security director. See you at the ballot box in 2026. https://t.co/J5gamxSKcj
— Ken Martin (@kenmartin73) January 11, 2026
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof also sparked outrage over the weekend after sharing an altered version of the iconic “Tank Man” photo from Beijing’s Tiananmen Square with ICE vehicles in place of the tanks and a “soccer mom” replacing the Chinese Democracy protestor.
As someone who covered Tiananmen in 1989, it pains me to feel the need to retweet this about the US. https://t.co/MIaoLdN7Jd
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) January 11, 2026
The DNC did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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