Prairie Public NewsRoom
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Thousands of people protest in Washington, D.C., and across the U.S. on Presidents Day

Thousands of people demonstrated at the Presidents Day protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the U.S. Capitol on Monday in Washington, D.C.
Tyrone Turner
/
WAMU/NPR
Thousands of people demonstrated at the Presidents Day protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the U.S. Capitol on Monday in Washington, D.C.

On Presidents Day, demonstrators across the U.S. descended upon state capitol buildings and other locations to protest actions by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, who are implementing significant changes to the federal government.

In Washington, D.C., the nation's capital, thousands of people gathered at the Capitol Reflecting Pool chanting "Where is Congress?" and urging members of Congress to "do your job!" despite nearly 40-degree temperatures and 20-mile-per-hour wind gusts.

Thousands of people demonstrated at the Presidents' Day protest against Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
Tyrone Turner / WAMU/NPR
/
WAMU/NPR
The nationwide protests were part of the 50501 Movement, which stands for "50 protests. 50 states. 1 movement."

The D.C. chapter of the 50501 Movement organized the rallies. One of its leaders, known as Potus Black, urged the crowd of protesters to stand united in order to "uphold the Constitution

"To oppose tyranny is to stand behind democracy and remind our elected officials that we, the people, are who they're elected to serve, not themselves," Black said. "The events over the past month have been built to exhaust us, to break our wills. But we are the American people. We will not break."

The nationwide protests were part of the 50501 Movement, which stands for "50 protests. 50 states. 1 movement." These protests were a response to what organizers describe as "the anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration." Monday's demonstrations marked the group's second nationwide campaign, following a series of executive orders signed by Trump. Both Musk and Trump have faced criticism for mass firings across several federal agencies.

Calls for Congress to take action

Monday's demonstrations marked the group's second nationwide campaign, following a series of executive orders signed by Trump.
Tyrone Turner / WAMU/NPR
/
WAMU/NPR
Monday's demonstrations marked the group's second nationwide campaign, following a series of executive orders signed by Trump.

Several attendees spoke with NPR, expressing their anger over Musk and Trump's actions and their fears about future executive orders. Their concerns ranged from Musk's team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), gaining access to Americans' personal data through the IRS and other federal agency records, to the firing of national park rangers.

Suzanne, a resident of Maryland, who requested that her last name be withheld because she fears retaliation against her family, told NPR she attended the rally in support of her husband, a federal employee with a financial regulatory agency. She mentioned their worries about him potentially being laid off among thousands of others.

"It's put us in a pretty tenuous financial situation. Currently, his paychecks are going through, but we're looking to Plan B as an alternative on how to support our family, our children," she said. "But it has really motivated him and his co-workers to stand united, to stand as a solid, solidified workers force."

People gathered at the Capitol Reflecting Pool chanting "Where is Congress?" and urging members of Congress to "do your job!" despite nearly 40-degree temperatures and 20-mile-per-hour wind gusts.
Tyrone Turner / WAMU/NPR
/
WAMU/NPR
People gathered at the Capitol Reflecting Pool chanting "Where is Congress?" and urging members of Congress to "do your job!" despite nearly 40-degree temperatures and 20-mile-per-hour wind gusts.
School teacher Renee Alexander from Virginia Beach, VA dressed up as the Statue of Liberty for the demonstration.
Tyrone Turner / WAMU/NPR
/
WAMU/NPR
School teacher Renee Alexander from Virginia Beach, VA dressed up as the Statue of Liberty for the demonstration.

Anita Gilmore of Maryland expressed her concerns about her son's federal healthcare coverage, which he relies on for medical treatment. She feels anxious about what actions Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may take.

"My son is on Medicaid because he has a life-threatening disease that if I wasn't there to take care of him, he would be one of these DC [homeless] guys on the street," Gilmore says.

Many protesters, including Katie Temple, are frustrated by Congress and say lawmakers are not doing enough to hold the executive branch accountable.

Local drag queen Tara Hoot spoke to the crowd during the protest, and read from a children's book that she wrote.
Tyrone Turner / WAMU/NPR
/
WAMU/NPR
Local drag queen Tara Hoot spoke to the crowd during the protest, and read from a children's book that she wrote.
Several attendees expressed their anger over Musk and Trump's actions and their fears about future executive orders.
Tyrone Turner / WAMU/NPR
/
WAMU/NPR
Several attendees expressed their anger over Musk and Trump's actions and their fears about future executive orders.

"I want Congress to grow a spine, as they've been saying," Temple, a Democrat, said while holding a sign that read "Was the price of your eggs worth our Democracy?"'

"I feel like, especially the Democrats, are not standing up. We need them to act," she said.

Following the protests, Black told NPR that more demonstrations were planned and that the 50501 Movement was only getting started.

"We know that this one protest is not going to be enough to make the changes that we expect," Black said. "We will be continuing to let the American people's voice be heard."

Protests sweep the nation from California to Tennessee to Massachusetts

Yolanda Prado (from right), Janna Brown and Karen Casorso hold signs before the '50501 Presidents Day Protest,' organized by the Common Ground People's Collective, begins at the Colorado State Capitol. Feb. 17, 2025.
Kevin J. Beaty / Denverite
/
Denverite
Yolanda Prado (from right), Janna Brown and Karen Casorso hold signs before the '50501 Presidents Day Protest,' organized by the Common Ground People's Collective, begins at the Colorado State Capitol. Feb. 17, 2025.

Protesters flooded statehouses, federal courts and other public spaces across the U.S., denouncing the Trump administration, executive overreach and mass deportations.

Organizers of the 50501 Movement provided details for protests in more than half of the states in the U.S. from California to Colorado, Tennessee and Massachusetts, just to name a few.

In the Northeast, despite freezing temperatures and fierce winds, hundreds of people gathered at Boston Common bundled in winter coats and beanies, according to social media. Similar protests broke out in Hartford, New York City and Trenton.

Further south in Knoxville, protesters turned out early for the afternoon "Not My Billionaires" rally near a federal courthouse, waving signs that read "Musk wasn't on the ballot" and "no felons, no Elons" according to social media. Demonstrations also took place in Nashville, Atlanta and Miami.

In Iowa, dozens of protesters rallied inside the statehouse walls in Iowa, chanting "President Musk must go!" to condemn Musk's involvement with the federal government, particularly his role heading DOGE, Iowa Local 5 News reported.

In Palo Alto on the West Coast, protesters intensified their efforts by rallying near Tesla dealerships, the company co-founded by Musk, according to NBC Bay Area.Colorado Public Radio estimates that more than 1,000 people took to the streets of Denver, braving the snow and holding signs that addressed a range of issues including women's reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights and immigration.

Copyright 2025 NPR

Chandelis Duster
Juliana Kim
Juliana Kim is a weekend reporter for Digital News, where she adds context to the news of the day and brings her enterprise skills to NPR's signature journalism.