Madison protest against Trump, Musk one of many across country
Madison protest against President Trump, Elon Musk
Hundreds of people gathered outside the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison to protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk on Wednesday.
MADISON, Wis. - Hundreds of people gathered outside the Wisconsin Capitol to protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk on Wednesday – one of several such demonstrations held in cities across the country.
Criticism of ‘DOGE’
Local perspective:
Musk is leading the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency – or "DOGE." Judging by the signs, the billionaire was on protesters' minds.
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"We will not take what's happening to America, it's decent into fascism, sitting down," protester Lilith Kievskaya said. "As a revolutionary who wants to see fundamental change in the United States, one thing we need to do is we need to challenge the status quo."
Amid the sea of signs, one said "Free Luigi," a reference to Luigi Mangione, the man who federal prosecutors allege murdered UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Protest against Trump, Musk at Wisconsin Capitol
The other side:
In Washington, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended DOGE.
"They don’t even know what they’re talking about, because President Trump was elected with a mandate from the American people to make this government more efficient," she said. "He campaigned across this country with Elon Musk vowing that Elon was going to head up the Department of Government Efficiency, and the two of them, with a great team around them, were going to look at the receipts of the federal government and ensure it’s accountable to American taxpayers."
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
The 50501 Movement
Big picture view:
The 50501 Movement spearheaded the state Capitol protests, with a website and social media accounts dedicated to their cause. Organizers set a goal of having 50 protests in 50 states.
The movement says it aims to support the free expression of "regular Americans' dissatisfaction with the embrace of Project 2025 by our government." Trump last fall denied he had anything to do with Project 2025.
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Participants criticized Trump's actions, flurry of executive orders and cuts – including to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID posted on its website that all direct hires, with some exceptions, will be placed on administrative leave on Friday.
The White House countered some of the criticism Congressional Democrats were leveling against President Trump and Elon Musk.
"I would just say a strong message for Democrats who are out there pretending to be outraged about the long list of crap that this administration is cutting: federal waste in funding, like $2m for sex changes in Guatemala, $6m to fund tourism in Egypt, $20m on a new Sesame Street show in Iraq," Leavitt said.
50501 Movement said violence of any kind will not be tolerated. It also encourages attendees to "stick together, stay strong and remember that our collective strength lies in unity."
Protests popped up in cities like Chicago and St. Paul, Minnesota, and at state capitols in Indiana, Michigan and Texas.
The Source: Information in this report is from footage of the Madison protest, along with protests in St. Paul and Chicago, along with the White House news briefing, as well as prior coverage of the Trump administration and Musk's role.