Nationwide ‘Hands Off!’ Protests Target Trump and Musk Over Policy Overhauls
From New York to Alaska, throngs of frustrated Americans took to the streets Saturday in a sweeping wave of protests, marking the largest coordinated pushback yet against President Donald Trump’s administration. Dubbed “Hands Off!” rallies, the demonstrations spanned over 1,200 locations across all 50 states, fueled by more than 150 organizations including civil rights groups, labor unions, LGBTQ+ advocates, veterans, and voting rights activists. Authorities reported no arrests as the events unfolded peacefully.
In cities like Midtown Manhattan, Anchorage, and various state capitals, thousands voiced their outrage at Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, a key adviser steering the administration’s aggressive agenda. Protesters condemned moves to slash federal jobs, shutter Social Security offices, dismantle agencies, deport immigrants, roll back transgender protections, and cut healthcare funding. Near Seattle’s Space Needle, signs reading “Fight the oligarchy” dotted the crowd, while marches in Portland, Oregon, and Los Angeles from Pershing Square to City Hall echoed with chants of dissent.
Musk, who leads Tesla, SpaceX, and X, heads the new Department of Government Efficiency, championing the downsizing as a way to save taxpayers billions. The White House defended Trump’s policies, stating, “President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries.” It accused Democrats of jeopardizing these programs by extending benefits to undocumented immigrants, a move it claims will “bankrupt” them and harm seniors.
At the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Kelley Robinson of the Human Rights Campaign decried the administration’s impact on the LGBTQ+ community, joined by Democratic lawmakers. “These attacks aren’t just political they’re personal,” she said, citing book bans, cuts to HIV prevention, and laws targeting doctors and teachers. “We want an America where dignity, safety, and freedom are for everyone, not just some.”
In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu rallied protesters wielding signs like “Hands off our democracy” and “Hands off our Social Security.” She rejected a future where her children face a government that vilifies immigrants like their grandparents or erodes diversity and equality. Meanwhile, in Columbus, Ohio, retiree Roger Broom, 66, a former Reagan Republican, lamented Trump’s leadership. “He’s tearing this country apart,” Broom said at the Statehouse rally. “It’s all grievances.”
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Near Trump’s Florida golf course in Jupiter, hundreds lined PGA Drive in Palm Beach Gardens, urging drivers to honk in solidarity. “They need to keep their hands off our Social Security,” said Archer Moran of Port St. Lucie, adding that the list of grievances is “too long” given Trump’s short time back in office. The president spent Saturday golfing and planned to do so again Sunday, per the White House.
Though Trump and Musk have faced protests since the former’s return to power, Saturday’s turnout eclipsed prior efforts, nearing the scale of the 2017 Women’s March or the 2020 Black Lives Matter rallies following George Floyd’s death. In Charlotte, North Carolina, Britt Castillo, 35, called the administration’s approach “abhorrent” and deaf to public outcry, regardless of political affiliation. San Jose, California, saw thousands march, including Deborah Doherty, a Women’s March veteran worried by a perceived dip in turnout. “People are numb to it now, which is frightening,” she said.
The “Hands Off!” movement reflects a broad coalition united against an administration they see as overreaching, with Saturday’s rallies signaling a rekindled opposition determined to make its voice heard.