Protesters take to the streets to rally against President Trump, Elon Musk nationwide and in Phoenix
Rally at Arizona Capitol against Trump, Musk
Protesters outside the Arizona State Capitol cited several reasons - from threats to Democracy by President Trump to federal program cuts by Elon Musk and DOGE - why they were rallying. FOx 10's Nicole Krasean has more.
PHOENIX - President Trump and Elon Musk say the decisions being made at the White House aim to save Americans billions of dollars and cut down on government waste.
Protesters on April 5 say these moves are threatening Americans' rights.
"We don't want a king, we want democracy," said one of those protesters named Stephanie.
What we know:
The streets of downtown Phoenix became a pathway for thousands of protesters telling President Trump and Elon Musk "Hands off" when it comes to plans to shutter some Social Security offices, National Park buildings and federal healthcare programs.
"We don't want to lose our rights. Women are losing their rights," said Stephanie.
Advocacy for indigenous people and immigrants was another focus for rally attendees.
What they're saying:
"Since we have been the originators of this country, I feel like we have been screwed over and over and over so many times. It's like hands off, stop. We're done. We're here to voice our voices now," said a protester who wished to remain anonymous.
"We don't want immigrants sent back to another, somewhere they're not even from, they're not hurting anything," said another protester named Jill.
Similar rallies took place nationwide as a call to action for lawmakers.
Protester Chris Peterson expressed this sentiment.
Watch FOX 10 Phoenix live:
"I hope that some of the legislators in this state and around the country will pick up on the significance of such a turnout of concerned people," Peterson said.
Some were even moved to tears.
"I know I'm gonna cry some more because this is my country and I love it. We know what's right, and we know what's wrong, and he is so wrong for America."
Others are searching for common ground
Why you should care:
"We're all in this together, left, right, middle, but we're not going down the middle, we're going way to the right-hand side," said Mario.
The sheer size of today's crowd helped energize some protesters to continue to speak out.
"We're very excited. We didn't know what to expect, so to see all of these people here, it makes you feel like there's some hope," said Jill.
When asked about the protests, the White House gave the following statement:
"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, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors."