
Trump live updates: Harris praises the ‘working people' for ‘Hands Off' protests against Trump and Musk
Former Vice President Kamala Harris praised the millions of protesters who gathered at 1,300 'Hands Off' demonstrations across the country Saturday for 'standing up' to the Trump administration.
'Thank you for using your voices and the power of protest to stand for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; for the Department of Education and programs like Head Start; for clean air and water; for the right to make decisions about your own body without government interference,' Harris wrote on X. 'The voices of working people will always be louder than the unelected billionaires.'
Protesters staged demonstrations at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and in more than 1,000 other places nationwide, asking for President Donald Trump and Elon Musk to get their 'hands off' health care, public lands, immigrants, LGBTQ+ rights, cancer research, and more.
DOGE has executed mass layoffs across the federal workforce, slashed contracts, and made strides to reduce the federal government's real estate footprint. Meanwhile, in recent weeks, the administration ordered many immigrants to be deported from the U.S., cut funding for health programs, and took steps to shutter federal agencies.
Speaking to a crowd in D.C., Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin described Trump as 'an economy-crushing dictator who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.'
The demonstrations come one day after the stock market closed with a bloodbath on Friday, as investors are spooked about the impact of Trump's tariff plan that he unveiled Wednesday.
SNL cold open mocks Trump tariffs with 'Make America Great Depression Again' line
Saturday Night Live's James Austin Johnson took to the stage as President Donald Trump, promising to 'Make America Great Depression Again' in a spoof of the president's 'Liberation Day' announcement in which he detailed his widespread tariffs.
'Thank you all for coming out to hear about tariffs. My favorite word, tariff, which, of course, is short for a-terrific-idea,' said Trump, calling the tax on Americans the 'backbone of my incredible plan for our economy.'
'It's actually even better than a plan, because it's a series of random numbers, like the numbers on the computer screen in Severance,' he added. 'You have no idea what the hell they mean, but I know what the numbers mean … They mean we're gonna make America wealthy again. You know you're gonna check your stock portfolio in a couple days and think 'I'm almost too wealthy.''
But before all that, the president said, 'We're going to do MAGDA — Make America Great Depression Again … It'll be better than great. It'll be a fantastic, unbelievable depression, the likes of which have never been seen before.'
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
SNL cold open mocks Trump tariffs with 'Make America Great Depression Again' line
'You know, the depression is going to be so great. We'll be the ones eating the cats and the dogs. That's going to be fun'
Kelly Rissman6 April 2025 14:30
WATCH: Canada 'will win' trade war with Trump, says PM Carney
Democrats in Pennsylvania are angry. John Fetterman's old rival is listening
Glenn Thompson's cardboard cutout took some real abuse on Saturday, as a room full of Pennsylvania Democrats let out their frustrations.
A few other members of the state's congressional delegation might be thankful that his likeness was the only one on display.
Thompson, on his fourth term in the House of Representatives, is just one of dozens of Republican lawmakers who have scaled back public events or avoided them completely amid nationwide outrage from Americans set to see steep cuts to funding for programs in their communities and their own personal safety nets under a Trump 2.0 agenda. Town hall events have become raucous gatherings where Republicans like Victoria Spartz, Chuck Edwards and others have been forced to confront angry voters demanding Congress take action to stop Elon Musk's DOGE firing spree affecting the Social Security Administration, USAID and other agencies.
John Bowden has the story.
Democrats in Pennsylvania are angry. John Fetterman's old rival is listening
Amid Trump's unprecedented slash-and-burn of the federal government, many Democratic voters feel their party is not doing enough to fight back. John Bowden reports from State College, Pennsylvania on a former congressman looking to meet the moment
Kelly Rissman6 April 2025 13:00
Justice Department seeks 87-month sentence for former GOP Rep. George Santos
The Department of Justice is seeking an 87-month sentence for former New York Republican Rep. George Santos after he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft last August.
'Santos' history and characteristics are troubling in the extreme. Santos is a pathological liar and fraudster,' states the 26-page sentencing memo from the department. 'For years, Santos manufactured and promoted a fictionalized biography, one that depicted himself as a highly educated, independently wealthy, successful businessman, all premised on a heap of lies.'
Santos was elected in the 2022 midterms when he flipped a Democratic district covering parts of Long Island and Queens.
His life story, however, was quickly found to be largely fabricated. His claims that he worked at top firms on Wall Street and had attended a particular college were debunked, and the financing of his campaign raised questions.
Santos was expelled from Congress in December 2023, after only 11 months as a representative. He was only the sixth member to be expelled; the other five were members of the confederacy.
Gustaf Kilander6 April 2025 12:00
DHS claims these tattoos show Venezuelan gang membership. The tattoo artists who did them say the truth is a lot more innocent
In its sweeping deportation campaign against Venezuelan immigrants, the Trump administration has repeatedly relied on tattoos to determine whether someone is a member of the feared criminal syndicate Tren de Aragua.
But The Independent has found that the U.S. government's examples of TDA tattoos, created under the Biden administration, include art by artists in the UK and India, who say the tattoos they etched had innocent meanings. One honored the birth of a child, while another appears to commemorate the Aussie rock band AC/DC.
'It is mind-blowing that this is being used as an example of gang tattoos. It makes no sense at all,' the British artist whose clock tattoo appears in a 2024 Department of Homeland Security briefing on 'detecting and identifying' TDA members told The Independent. 'I have no relationship to Venezuelan gangs, and my art has nothing to do with them.'
Io Dodds has the details.
DHS claims these tattoos show Venezuelan gang membership. The tattoo artists deny it
'It's mind-blowing... a total misrepresentation,' one British tattoo artist whose work was cited as a symbol of the crime syndicate Tren de Aragua tells Io Dodds
Kelly Rissman6 April 2025 10:00
Millions flocked to the streets across the country in protest of President Donald Trump's administration's cuts to health program funding, mass firings of federal workers and steps toward shuttering entire agencies.
'Hands Off' protests, organized by nearly 200 advocacy groups, cropped up in more than 1,000 locations across the U.S. and around the globe Saturday in what became the largest day of collective action since Trump was inaugurated for a second time.
The protests aimed to put a stop to the 'most brazen power grab in modern history,' organizers said. Millions — from Los Angeles to London — marched to advocate for civil rights, healthcare, democracy, workers' rights and LGBTQ+ rights that have been under 'assault' by the Trump administration and GOP Congress members, they added.
Read the full story.
Trump and Musk denounced as thousands protest in cities across US
Protesters flooded the streets in hopes of stopping what one dubbed 'the most brazen power grab in modern history'
Kelly Rissman6 April 2025 08:00
Ukrainian refugees accidentally told to leave in mistaken email
Ukrainians legally in the U.S. were told in an email mistakenly sent Friday by the Department of Homeland Security that their parole status had been withdrawn and that they had to self-deport, according to Politico.
The email, sent to an unidentified number of people, prompted widespread fear among those who came to the U.S. to flee the full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022. The refugees have been increasingly concerned about their legal status in the country, as President Donald Trump said last month that they could revoke their residency status.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told the outlet that the U.S. has not yet revoked the temporary parole status handed to the 240,000 Ukrainians who came to the U.S., fleeing the war under former President Joe Biden.
240,000 Ukrainians came to the U.S., fleeing the war under former President Joe Biden
Gustaf Kilander6 April 2025 07:00
DOJ lawyers file emergency appeal on order requiring return of Maryland man mistakenly sent to El Salvador
The Trump administration is arguing that a federal judge didn't have the authority to order the return of a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, a Saturday filing reveals.
On Friday. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ordered the administration to 'facilitate and effectuate' Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia's return to the U.S. by late Monday night. On Saturday, government lawyers filed an emergency appeal, requesting the court pause the judge's order.
'A judicial order that forces the Executive to engage with a foreign power in a certain way, let alone compel a certain action by a foreign sovereign, is constitutionally intolerable,' the attorneys wrote in a filing in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The appeals court asked Abrego Garcia's lawyers to respond to the government's filing by Sunday afternoon, according to the Associated Press.
The arrest and wrongful removal of a Salvadoran immigrant from the United States was unconstitutional 'from the moment he was seized,' a federal judge told lawyers for Donald Trump's administration on Friday.
'He was apprehended without legal basis … and without due process,' Judge Xinis said.
Alex Woodward has more on the story.
Judge orders Trump to return Maryland father deported to El Salvador
Government attorneys argued in court filings that the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia was no longer in their hands despite admitting he was removed due to an 'administrative error'
Kelly Rissman6 April 2025 06:00
Trump vows to 'Make America Great Depression Again' in SNL cold open spoof on tariffs announcement
Saturday Night Live's James Austin Johnson took to the stage as President Donald Trump, promising to 'Make America Great Depression Again' in a spoof of the president's 'Liberation Day' announcement in which he detailed his widespread tariffs.
'Thank you all for coming out to hear about tariffs. My favorite word, tariff, which, of course, is short for a-terrific-idea,' said Trump, calling the tax on Americans the 'backbone of my incredible plan for our economy.'
'It's actually even better than a plan, because it's a series of random numbers, like the numbers on the computer screen in Severance,' he added. 'You have no idea what the hell they mean, but I know what the numbers mean … They mean we're gonna make America wealthy again. You know you're gonna check your stock portfolio in a couple days and think 'I'm almost too wealthy.''
'You know, the depression is going to be so great. We'll be the ones eating the cats and the dogs. That's going to be fun'
Gustaf Kilander6 April 2025 05:35
Justice Department lawyer placed on leave after questioning deportation of Maryland man
A top immigration attorney at the Department of Justice was placed on indefinite leave Saturday after he questioned the deportation of a Maryland man to El Salvador, according to The New York Times.
A letter obtained by the paper, which had been sent to Erez Reuveni, the acting deputy director of the immigration litigation division, states that he was suspended by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for not following 'a directive from your superiors.'
This comes after Reuveni was promoted just two weeks ago. He's one of several career officials who have faced demotion, suspension, a transfer, or been fired for not following directions from Trump appointees.
Gustaf Kilander6 April 2025 05:00
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Sky News
22 minutes ago
- Sky News
Boos and cheers for Trump as he visits Kennedy Center for Les Mis
Les Miserables, what else. The hit musical about anti-government protest is now showing at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Donald Trump was in the audience for Wednesday's performance for what amounts to a busman's holiday. The narrative explores issues of social justice, love, and the enduring power of human compassion amidst a backdrop of poverty and revolution. Not everyone shares the president's vision of those themes. Indeed his presence drew what can only be described as mixed reviews from his fellow theatre goers - cheers and boos in equal measure as he waved from the front row of the circle. The script of Les Miserables barely presents a break from the day job - Trump won't be the only one getting a sense of art imitating life, as the real thing plays out on the streets of LA. It is the first show the president has chosen to attend since he made sweeping changes at the iconic venue, prompting an outcry and accusations that he was politicising art and 'MAGAfying' the venerated institution. According to CNN, a number of Les Miserables cast members had planned to sit out the performance in protest. The Kennedy Center is a prestigious venue that showcases the best of American performance art. More than 2,000 shows per year include the famous honours ceremony, an annual event that celebrates artists who have made a significant contribution to US culture. Honourees through the years have included Joni Mitchell, Aretha Franklin, the Grateful Dead and Francis Ford Coppola. Following his election in November, Trump made himself chairman of the Kennedy Center's board and replaced members with political loyalists. Traditionally, the board has been made up of individuals from across the political spectrum; after his election, Trump got rid of 18 members and replaced them with political soulmates, including his chief of staff Susie Wiles and Fox presenters Laura Ingraham and Maria Bartiromo. Donald Trump signalled a change in artistic direction at the Kennedy Center when he wrote on social media of "Drag shows specifically targeting our youth", and said of its production schedule: "We didn't like what they were showing, we're going to make sure it's good and it's not going to be woke." His changes prompted a number of acts to cancel shows at the venue in protest. The touring production of Broadway hit Hamilton cancelled dates, as did actor and producer Issa Rae, writer Louise Penny and Pulitzer Prize-winning folk musician Rhiannon Giddens. 👉 Follow Trump100 on your podcast app 👈 Trump's attendance at the Les Mis performance was designed to boost fundraising, with donors paying up to $2m to attend a reception with the president. Ticket sales and subscriptions have, reportedly, slumped since Trump's changes although the centre's management points out its campaign to renew subscriptions has been launched later this year than last. Trump watched the performance of Les Miserables from the presidential box, in the company of his wife, Melania. Vice president JD Vance was also there. When he attended a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra in March with his wife, he was booed by members of the audience.


The Independent
37 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump administration hit with second lawsuit over restrictions on asylum access
Immigration advocates filed a class action lawsuit Wednesday over the Trump administration's use of a proclamation that effectively put an end to being able to seek asylum at ports of entry to the United States. The civil lawsuit was filed in a Southern California federal court by the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, the American Immigration Council, Democracy Forward, and the Center for Constitutional Rights. The lawsuit is asking the court to find the proclamation unlawful, set aside the policy ending asylum at ports of entry and restore access to the asylum process at ports of entry, including for those who had appointments that were canceled when President Donald Trump took office. Unlike a similar lawsuit filed in February in a Washington, D.C., federal court representing people who had already reached U.S. soil and sought asylum after crossing between ports of entry, Wednesday's lawsuit focuses on people who are not on U.S. soil and are seeking asylum at ports of entry. No response was immediately issued by the Department of Homeland Security or Customs and Border Protection, which were both among the defendants listed. Trump's sweeping proclamation issued on his first day in office changed asylum policies, effectively ending asylum at the border. The proclamation said the screening process created by Congress under the Immigration and Nationality Act 'can be wholly ineffective in the border environment' and was 'leading to the unauthorized entry of innumerable illegal aliens into the United States.' Immigrant advocates said that under the proclamation noncitizens seeking asylum at a port of entry are asked to present medical and criminal histories, a requirement for the visa process but not for migrants who are often fleeing from immediate danger. 'Nothing in the INA or any other source of law permits Defendants' actions,' the immigrant advocates wrote in their complaint. Thousands of people who sought asylum through the CBP One app, a system developed under President Joe Biden, had their appointments at ports of entry canceled on Trump's first day in office as part of the proclamation that declared an invasion at the border. 'The Trump administration has taken drastic steps to block access to the asylum process, in flagrant violation of U.S. law,' the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies stated in a news release Wednesday.


Daily Mail
42 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump gives ominous warning as Pete Hegseth authorizes major military move in the Middle East
President Donald Trump delivered an ominous warning on Wednesday as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized a major military move in the Middle East amid rising tensions in the area. The Defense Department has announced it has authorized the voluntary departure of military dependents from bases in the Middle East ahead of continued negotiations with Iranian officials over its rapidly advancing nuclear program It affects bases in Iraq, Syria, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates - but primarily affects military spouses and their children in Bahrain near the US Navy base, according to Fox News. When asked why family members are being evacuated, Trump simply said: 'You'll have to see.' He then headed off to the Kennedy Center to watch Les Miserables. Trump later explained the dependents 'are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place.' He again warned, 'We'll see what happens.' When Trump was then asked what would diffuse tensions in the region, Trump said Iran 'can't have a nuclear weapon, very simply, they can't have a nuclear weapon. We're not going to allow that.' In the meantime, the State Department has said it has ordered the departure of all nonessential personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad as part of its commitment 'to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad.' 'President Trump is committed to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad. In keeping with that commitment, we are constantly assessing the appropriate personnel posture at all our embassies,' a State Department official told The Hill. 'Based on our latest analysis, we decided to reduce the footprint of our Mission in Iraq.' The embassy has been on limited staffing for years in part due to security concerns, as the surrounding area has previously been targeted by rockets and mortar during previous confrontations between Washington DC and Tehran, the Wall Street Journal reports. But the State Department took its efforts a step further on Wednesday, as it also authorized the departure of nonessential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait - giving them the option of leaving those countries at the government's expense and with government assistance. The Defense Department also added that 'the safety and security of our service members and their families remains our highest priority and US Central Command is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East.' No US uniformed service members will be evacuating, however, two unidentified defense officials told Fox. The moves to reduce military personnel in the Middle East comes as talks between the US and Iran seeking to limit its nuclear program in exchange for the US lifting some of its sanctions have hit an impasse. Tehran and Washington have held five rounds of talks since April to thrash out a new nuclear accord to replace the deal that US Trump overturned during his first term in 2018. Iranian officials are now set to present a counterproposal on a nuclear deal with the United States at a scheduled meeting over the weekend, after previously describing Washington's offer as containing 'ambiguities'. Iran's parliament speaker has also claimed that the US proposal failed to include the lifting of sanctions - a key demand for Tehran, which has been reeling under their weight for years. Now, Trump says he is 'less confident' of reaching a deal to shut down the nuclear program. 'They seem to be delaying, and I think that´s a shame,' the president told the New York Post's Pod Force One podcast in an interview Monday. 'I´m less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago. Something happened to them,' he claimed in the interview, which was released Wednesday. Meanwhile, Iranian Defense Minister Amir Aziz Nasirzadeh told journalists that Tehran is ready to respond if the negotiations fail. 'If conflict is imposed on us, the opponent´s casualties will certainly be more than ours, and in that case, America must leave the region, because all its bases are within our reach,' he said. 'We have access to them, and we will target all of them in the host countries without hesitation.' The country has repeatedly insisted that its nuclear program is peaceful. 'Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon, and U.S. militarism only fuels instability,' the Iranian mission to the United Nations reiterated on social media. 'CENTCOM's legacy of fueling regional instability, through arming aggressors and enabling Israeli crimes, strips it of any credibility to speak on peace or nonproliferation. 'Diplomacy - not militarism - is the only path forward,' it argued. Yet the United States is not the only one cracking down on Iran's nuclear program, as the Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency is considering censuring the country. Rafael Grossi, the director-general of the IAEA, warned on Tuesday that Iran's growing stockpile of highly enriched uranium and unresolved questions about its program are serious issues. 'Unless and until Iran assists the agency in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues, the Agency will not be in a position to provide assurance that Iran's nuclear program is exclusively peaceful,' he said. At the end of May, the IAEA published a damning report that claimed Iran had carried out secret nuclear activities with material not declared to the U.N. nuclear watchdog at three locations long under investigation. A censure by the international agency could now mean the United Nations reimposes its sanctions on Iran via a measure in Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers that remains active until October. Trump withdrew from that agreement in his first term.