Last weekend saw a historic surge of anti-Trump protests in the wake of President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs doing a number on the stock market — and Rachel Maddow says there’s plenty more still to come.
On her Monday night show, the MSNBC host walked through countless smart and/or funny signs seen from the various “Hands Off” protests that happened nationwide on Saturday. Maddow wants Americans to keep that energy going and continue to “be relentless” in the weeks and months ahead.
“Whether or not you protested this weekend, whether or not you’re even in sympathy for the people who protested this weekend, the huge variety of reasons people protested this weekend tells you that the proverbial tent of people allied against Donald Trump right now is really, really, really big,” she said. “He’s done enough in these 70, 80-whatever days to make a very large number of people mad at him and want to resist him for a million different reasons.”
Maddow further detailed the importance of keeping that energy up while also keeping the protests peaceful: “One of the things you realize about mass peaceful protest movements fighting against authoritarian takeover is that they have to stay peaceful and they have to be relentless. They have to frequently, frequently, frequently protest again and again and again.”
On Saturday, over 3 million U.S. citizens banded together across the country to take part in more than 1,300 peaceful “Hands Off” protests organized by MoveOn to combat the president and DOGE’s agenda.
“What we witnessed today was nothing short of extraordinary. Across the country and around the world, people came together to say: we will not be silent while our rights, our futures and our democracy are under attack,” MoveOn executive director Rahna Epting said in a statement. “This peaceful movement is powered by everyday people — nurses, teachers, students, parents — who are rising up to protect what matters most. We are united, we are relentless, and we are just getting started.”
The protests took place in major cities such as Chicago, Asheville, Topeka, Boston, Columbus, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle and even internationally in London and Paris.
“This marks the largest day of collective action since Trump’s inauguration, with everyday people turning out in record numbers to defend their healthcare, wages, education, civil rights and democracy,” MoveOn noted. “Organizers and attendees cited moves Trump has taken to gut workers’ rights, dismantle our healthcare and constantly increasing prices for all Americans as major contributors to the increased enthusiasm.”
