A powerful wave of dissent swept across the United States on Saturday as coordinated anti-Trump protests erupted in all 50 states, marking the largest nationwide demonstration of Donald Trump’s second term. The protests were a response to what organizers described as a sweeping attack on Americans’ rights, economic stability, and democratic values.
More than 1,200 “Hands Off!” protests took place across cities including Washington D.C., New York, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles, with an estimated 600,000 people participating. Demonstrators also gathered in solidarity across international cities like London, Paris, Berlin, and Toronto.
The mass mobilization came just days after President Trump announced hundreds of billions of dollars in sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs on U.S. trading partners—policies that sent global stock markets into a tailspin, erasing more than $5 trillion in value. The protests also coincided with widespread public outrage over drastic federal workforce cuts led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which eliminated 200,000 civil service jobs.
While thousands gathered beneath the Washington Monument, Trump spent the day at his Jupiter, Florida golf club before retreating to Mar-a-Lago. The stark contrast between presidential leisure and public protest only fueled more anger on the streets.
Many protesters carried signs portraying President Trump with a swastika, denouncing Elon Musk as a “fascist” and accusing both men of waging war on American democracy. Ukrainian flags, Palestinian keffiyehs, and banners calling for social justice created a visual representation of the movement’s global and intersectional nature.
“This is an enormous demonstration that’s sending a very clear message to Musk, Trump, and all the MAGA enablers: we will not stand by while they dismantle our democracy,” said Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, one of the event’s main organizers.
Democratic lawmakers, including Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin, joined the protests in D.C. Raskin told the crowd, “Donald Trump has the politics of Mussolini and the economics of Herbert Hoover. We don’t need a dictator who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
In Los Angeles, one protester dressed as Marie Antoinette held a sign that read: “Musk & Trump say: let them eat cake,” a satirical jab at the administration’s perceived disregard for working-class Americans.
Crowds of demonstrators gathered across all 50 US states on Saturday Credit: JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP
Despite the heavy criticism, the White House defended Trump’s recent economic actions. Assistant Press Secretary Liz Huston said: “President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Democrats, meanwhile, are proposing benefits for illegal aliens that would bankrupt the system.”
The protests recalled the energy of the 2017 Women’s March, though this time without the celebrity fanfare. Critics noted that the movement’s grassroots tone was a deliberate contrast to recent campaigns that had relied heavily on celebrity endorsements, which many voters found out of touch.
Among the crowd in Washington was Terry Klein, a retired biomedical scientist from Princeton, New Jersey. “I came here because everything is under attack—immigration, education, our institutions, and now our economy,” she said. “We can’t stay silent anymore.”
With the nation reeling from layoffs, economic uncertainty, and mounting political division, Saturday’s protests could mark a pivotal moment in America’s political narrative. Whether they signal the beginning of broader public resistance or remain symbolic remains to be seen—but one thing is clear: discontent is no longer confined to online spaces or political rhetoric. It’s now marching in the streets.
