Thousands Protest Trump and Musk in Nationwide ‘Hands Off!’ Rallies/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Over 1,200 coordinated protests erupted across the U.S. and overseas Saturday, marking the largest day of organized resistance since Donald Trump’s return to office. Demonstrators targeted Trump and adviser Elon Musk’s sweeping government overhauls, job cuts, and social program threats. Protesters rallied in D.C., state capitals, and major global cities with signs demanding democracy and accountability.
Trump Protest Movement – Quick Looks
- 1,200+ protests planned in all 50 U.S. states and abroad
- Largest demonstration since Trump retook office in January
- 20,000+ rally on the National Mall under the “Hands Off!” banner
- Protesters decry executive orders, job purges, and civil rights rollbacks
- Targeted criticism of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
- IRS, SSA, and key agencies slashed, sparking outrage over Social Security cuts
- Major participation from unions, veterans, LGBTQ+, pro-Palestinian, and environmental groups
- Sister protests held in Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt, and London
Thousands Protest Trump and Musk in Nationwide ‘Hands Off!’ Rallies
Deep Look
WASHINGTON — Under gray skies and light rain, tens of thousands of Americans gathered on the National Mall and in cities across the country Saturday to protest the Trump administration’s sweeping dismantling of federal programs and protections, and to demand accountability from the billionaire figures behind the effort.
Dubbed “Hands Off!”, the movement marked the largest single day of protest since President Donald Trump returned to office in January. Over 1,200 rallies took place across all 50 U.S. states, as well as in Canada, Mexico, and Europe, uniting disparate groups under a shared opposition to the administration’s aggressive policies.
“Our entire country is under attack,” said Terry Klein, a retired scientist from Princeton, N.J. “From immigration to education to Social Security — this is about preserving what makes America, America.”
“Billionaires and oligarchs don’t value your life or your community,” said Paul Osadebe, a lawyer at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and a union steward, speaking in Washington. “What they value is profit and power, and they don’t care who they destroy to get it.”
In Boston, thousands packed the historic Common carrying signs with slogans like “Hands off our democracy” and “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Makes America Strong.” In Columbus, Ohio, hundreds rallied under steady rain at the Statehouse, expressing concern about the future of social services and public institutions.
Roger Broom, 66, a retiree and former Republican from Delaware County, Ohio, said he could no longer support the direction of the party. “Trump is tearing this country apart,” he said. “It’s just an administration of grievances.”
Outside Trump’s golf club in Jupiter, Florida—where the president spent his morning playing in a senior championship—protesters lined PGA Drive in Palm Beach Gardens. Chanting slogans and waving signs at passing traffic, they called attention to Trump’s latest rounds of federal cuts.
“They need to keep their hands off our Social Security,” said Archer Moran of Port St. Lucie. “And the list of what they need to keep their hands off is too long to count.”
Linda Falcao, preparing to retire in two months, joined a protest outside the Social Security Administration headquarters near Baltimore. “I’m terrified. I’ve been paying into Social Security since I was 16,” she said. “I want my money. I want my benefits.”
Protest Targets: Trump and Musk
The demonstrations took particular aim at Trump’s senior adviser Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has overseen the termination of more than 200,000 federal jobs.
Most recently, the Internal Revenue Service laid off 25% of its staff, and the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced 7,000 job cuts and halted phone services to millions of claimants.
At SSA headquarters near Baltimore, hundreds of retirees gathered to protest the downsizing.
“I’m terrified, I’m angry, and I want my benefits,” said Linda Falcao, who is nearing retirement age. The crowd erupted with chants of “It’s our money!”
Signs included:
- “Fire DOGE!”
- “Deport Musk”
- “Hands Off Social Security”
- “Send Musk to Mars”
Defiant Resistance Across the Nation
Activist groups — including unions, environmentalists, LGBTQ+ organizations, and pro-Palestinian coalitions — marched in major cities from Los Angeles to Chicago to Asheville, N.C. Protesters in Washington lined Connecticut Avenue, carrying banners like “No Kings in the USA.”
David Madden, a 75-year-old veteran from Dayton, Ohio, voiced concern over Trump’s authoritarian tilt:
“We’re seeing institutions stolen from the American people. There’s confusion in the courts, and rising intolerance across the country.”
White House Pushback
White House assistant press secretary Liz Huston pushed back on the narrative, asserting:
“President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid… Democrats want to bankrupt these programs by giving benefits to illegal aliens.”
Yet critics argue the Trump-Musk agenda — shaped by the conservative Project 2025 blueprint — is undermining those very programs by gutting agencies and re-centralizing power.
International Solidarity
Abroad, hundreds of Americans and allies rallied in cities like Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt, and London, waving signs such as:
- “Feminists for Freedom, Not Fascism”
- “Resist Tyrant”
- “Save Democracy”
“We must stand with those protesting in the U.S.,” said Timothy Kautz, of Democrats Abroad in Frankfurt.
What’s Next?
The protests, while largely peaceful, reflect growing anxiety over the future of American democracy and the sweeping executive actions reshaping government operations.
“We’ve moved beyond symbolic resistance,” said protester Jose Sanchez in Paris. “Trump is a con man dismantling democracy — and this is just the beginning of the fight.”
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