Angry Americans Say Trump Is ‘Tearing Country Apart’ Amid Striking ‘Hands Off’ Protests

Angry with President Trump’s drastic changes to the federal government Americans gathered in protest on Saturday at over 1,200 locations across 50 states. These protests are being called the largest sp far against his administration, as Democrats work to recover from last year’s election loss. 

The peaceful protest have been symbolically named “Hands Off!” after urging President Trump and his billionaire advisor Elon Musk to stop making drastic changes to government policies. These include areas like foreign affairs, defense, expenditure, climate change and social security programmes.

Musk, who leads the newly formed, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has been assigned by Trump to reduce administrative “waste” and shrink federal agencies. The White House says this is an effort to make the government “more accountable” to American taxpayers.

Protesters also expressed strong anger over what may see as growing billionaire influence on government policy. Many held signs with slogans like “Fight the oligarchy.”

The protesters came from over 150 groups including, civil rights organization, labor unions, LGBTQ advocates, armed forces veterans, elections activists, former Republican supporters and even Congress members of Democrats.

When asked about the widespread protests, the White House blamed the Democrats, acusing them of supporting “illegal aliens.”

“President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats’ stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, who will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors,” the White House said in a statement.

Protesters also gathered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, just a few miles away from Trump’s golf course in Jupiter. According to the White House, the President spent Saturday golfing in Florida and planned to do the same on Sunday. 

At the rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Kelly Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, criticized the administration for its treatment of the LGBTQ community. 

“The attacks that we’re seeing, they’re not just political. They are personal, y’all. They’re trying to ban our books, they’re slashing HIV prevention funding, they’re criminalizing our doctors, our teachers, our families and our lives,” Robinson said.

“We don’t want this America, y’all. We want the America we deserve, where dignity, safety and freedom belong not to some of us, but to all of us,” he added.

Mayor Michelle Wu said she doesn’t want her children to grow up in a world where the government uses threats and fear, and where value like diversity and equality are under attack.  “I refuse to accept that they could grow up in a world where immigrants like their grandma and grandpa are automatically presumed to be criminals,” Wu said.

Roger Broom, 66, a retiree from Delaware Country, Ohio, said, “He’s tearing this country apart. It’s just an administration of grievances.”