Cliff Notes
- Thousands participated in nationwide “Hands Off!” protests against Donald Trump and Elon Musk, with around 1,200 demonstrations organised across all 50 states, including major cities like Washington DC and New York City.
- Protesters voiced concerns over various issues, including the Trump administration’s policies on government downsizing, human rights, and economic management, with some carrying signs that read messages such as “Make democracy great again.”
- Alongside anti-Trump sentiments, many demonstrators expressed solidarity with Ukraine and the LGBTQ+ community, as well as raising awareness for Palestinian rights, showcasing a diverse range of social issues at the rallies.
Thousands protest against Donald Trump and Elon Musk at rallies in all 50 US states
Thousands of people gathered in various cities across the US as protests against Donald Trump and Elon Musk took place in all 50 states on Saturday.
Around 1,200 demonstrations were planned in locations including Washington DC, New York City and West Palm Beach, Florida – just miles away from where the US president has this weekend played golf.
Make democracy great again
The “Hands Off!” protests were against the Trump administration’s handling of government downsizing, human rights and the Economy, among other issues.
In Washington DC, protesters streamed on the grass in front of the Washington Monument, where one person carried a banner which read: “Make democracy great again.”
In another part of the protests thousands of children’s shoes are lined up the street in Washington, DC, representing the 17,400+ Palestinian children killed by Israel.
Another protester took aim at Mr Trump‘s handling of Russia and Ukraine, with a placard that read: “Stop Putin’s puppets from destroying America.”

Tesla boss Mr Musk also featured on many signs due to his role in controversial government cuts as head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Terry Klein, a retired biomedical scientist, said she drove to the rally to protest Mr Trump’s policies on “everything from immigration to the DOGE stuff to the tariffs this week, to education”.
“I mean, our whole country is under attack, all of our institutions, all the things that make America what it is,” she added.
Some at the various protests carried Ukrainian flags, while others sported rainbow attire and waved rainbow flags in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
Other protesters wore Palestinian keffiyeh scarves and carried “Free Palestine” signs.
Thousands marched in New York City’s midtown Manhattan and in Boston, Massachusetts, while hundreds gathered in the sunshine outside the Utah State Capitol building in Salt Lake City, and in the rain outside the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio.
Mr Trump – who shook financial markets with his tariffs announcement this week – spent the day in Florida, playing a round of golf before returning to his Mar-a-Lago residence.
Some four miles from Mar-a-Lago, more than 400 people gathered – and drivers honked their horns in support of protesters who held up signs including one which read: “Markets tank, Trump golfs.”
The White House has said Mr Trump plans to go golfing again on Sunday.