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New York Times
05-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Anti-Trump Protests Get Underway Across the Country
They came out in defense of national parks and small businesses, public education and health care for veterans, abortion rights and fair elections. They were against tariffs and oligarchs, dark money and fascism, the deportation of legal immigrants and the Department of Government Efficiency. Demonstrators had no shortage of causes as they gathered in towns and cities across the country on Saturday for a day of protest against President Donald J. Trump's policies. Rallies were planned in all 50 states, and images of some of the earliest posted on social media showed crowds in places like St. Augustine, Fla., and Buffalo, and marchers in rainy Frankfort, Ky. The mass action, 'Hands Off!,' was planned at a time when many on the left have bemoaned what they considered a lack of strong resistance to President Trump. The president has moved aggressively to punish people and institutions he viewed as out of step with his ideology. The rallies were organized by Indivisible, MoveOn and several other groups that led protests about abortion rights, gun violence and racial justice during the first Trump administration. Organizers said they hoped to shift the emphasis to pocketbook issues like health care and Social Security, with the message that President Trump is making life harder for the average American while benefiting his richest friends. They also moved away from focusing on massive demonstrations, like the 2017 Women's March on Washington, to instead plan dozens of local gatherings in communities large and small. Judging by the waving placards, some demonstrators had specific issues, while others opposed the Trump administration and MAGA movement in general. 'Hands off my money, rights, democracy,' one sign proclaimed. 'Make lying wrong again,' said another.
New York Times
05-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Anti-Trump Protests Try to Reach the Newly Alarmed
Opponents of President Trump are planning protests on Saturday in all 50 states to oppose the president's slash and burn attacks on federal health care programs, and government workers, a message that they say appeals to a politically diverse set of Americans. The mass action, 'Hands Off!,' was organized by Indivisible, MoveOn and several other groups that led protests about abortion rights, gun violence and racial justice during the first Trump administration. But organizers said they are now working with 150 local, state and national partners to emphasize a new message: President Trump is threatening health care, Social Security and education, making life harder for the average American, while benefiting his richest friends. 'We need to bring in new people, and that's where Trump's policies are so consequential,' said Britt Jacovich, a spokeswoman for MoveOn. Longtime Trump opponents are re-examining the huge protest movements that defined his first stint in office. The demonstrations minted new generations of activists and helped the Democrats retake the House in 2018, but they did not protect Roe v. Wade or compel Congress to pass police reform legislation. And in the end, Mr. Trump came roaring back in November and won the election. 'The protests were effective in the short term, but in the longer term, unless there is some kind of resounding defeat politically, movements like Trump's are able to reconstitute and, in this case, win,' said Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist who studies social movements and nonviolent resistance. Saturday's protests will surely include signs and speeches about reproductive rights, trans rights and racial justice. In other ways, the events may bear little resemblance to the mass demonstrations in Mr. Trump's first term, particularly the Women's March on Washington, which set the tone for the resistance. The day after his inauguration, more than half a million pink-hatted protesters descended on the nation's capital to watch Madonna perform and celebrities give keynote speeches, and millions more marched in cities nationwide. The framing for the Saturday march is, 'Let's talk about Trump's economic attacks and attacks on our rights,' said Leah Greenberg, the co-founder of Indivisible. 'They are not different things. They come from an anti-democratic alliance taking over and attacking fundamental parts of our democracy.' Many of the half a million people who have signed up to participate in Saturday's marches will attend a protest close to home, including in places where Trump has been popular. The marquee rally on the National Mall could be comparatively modest, with a turnout in the tens of thousands. Politicians, labor leaders and political organizers have replaced Hollywood stars as keynote speakers. 'You want the whole country involved in a protest, people in surprising places,' said Jason Stanley, a philosophy professor who recently quit his job at Yale and fled to the University of Toronto. He said that mass movements gain staying power when they garner support beyond protest-friendly environments like liberal cities and college campuses. 'Everyone in a democracy has agency, but everyone has to feel like they have agency to use it,' he said. The results of the November election demand different opposition approaches, organizers said. In 2017, many opponents of Mr. Trump thought his victory was a fluke, so the strategy was to question his legitimacy. After Mr. Trump won the popular vote in 2024, his opponents began courting people he alienated within his coalition. 'Even people who initially said that Trump was doing what he promised he'd do to his enemies, shaking things up, are now saying, 'What happened to me — what about me?'' said Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers. 'Trump also promised to help with groceries and help people get ahead, and he's making life harder and worse.' Groups organized by Indivisible have hosted 150 town halls in Republican House districts. Many who attended were worried that Social Security and Medicaid were next on the chopping block. Concerned about the economic outlook, including rising costs for housing and food, they wanted to know why the billionaire Elon Musk was overseeing the government overhaul. Elections in Florida and Wisconsin on Tuesday gave Democrats hope. In Florida, Republicans won two House seats by slimmer than expected margins. And a liberal candidate won election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. A variety of polls shows that Mr. Trump's approval rating has dropped. 'Reality has hit in a way it didn't during his campaign,' Ms. Jacovich of MoveOn said. But the Trump administration's deportations, investigations and university funding cuts have helped subdue dissent. That requires Mr. Trump's opponents to show they are willing to risk speaking out, said Ms. Chenoweth, the political scientist. And even though protests alone will not stop Mr. Trump, they can help propel the opposition, said Mr. Stanley, the philosophy professor. Pete Maysmith, the incoming president of the League of Conservation Voters, said that the protests on Saturday will be a success if a diverse group of people in red and blue states come together to talk about how Mr. Trump is changing the country. 'There may be things we disagree on,' Mr. Maysmith said, 'and that's OK.'
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Madonna Responds to Donald Trump's ‘King' Post: ‘If This Is a Joke, I'm Not Laughing'
Madonna has shared her latest thoughts on the current activities of U.S. President Donald Trump. The Queen of Pop's latest comments on Trump came following a controversial post from the official White House X account on Wednesday (Feb. 19). Sharing a fake Time magazine cover, the title was altered to feature Trump's name, while a caption reading 'long live the king' appeared above a smiling of the President, adorned with a crown. More from Billboard Djo Reimagines Haim's 'Gasoline' for Australia's 'Like a Version' Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco Team Up With Gracie Abrams for 'Call Me When You Break Up': Stream It Now Big Time Rush Announce 'In Real Life' Tour Playing Every Song From Their TV Show The post, which was shared after his administration ordered New York to end congestion pricing, was also accompanied by a quote attributed to Trump, 'CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING.' Understandably, the post drew swift criticism from those who recognized the irony of the White House's reference to Trump as a monarch, given the very circumstances upon which America was first founded. Madonna was one of those very people, who took to her Instagram Stories on Thursday (Feb. 20) to criticize the post. 'I thought this country was built by Europeans, escaping living under the rule of a King, to establish a New World governed by the people,' she wrote. 'Currently, we have a president who calls himself our King. If this is a joke, I'm not laughing.' This is far from the first time that Madonna has responded negatively to actions from the Trump administration. Following Trump's first inauguration in Jan. 2017, the musician addressed a crowd of over 500,000 women and men at the Women's March on Washington, with her expletive-laden speech airing uncensored on C-Span, CNN and MSNBC. 'Welcome to the revolution of love, to the rebellion, to our refusal as women to accept this new age of tyranny, where not just women are in danger but all marginalized people, where being uniquely different right now might truly be considered a crime,' she told the gathered masses. 'It took this horrific moment of darkness to wake us the f— up.' More recently, Madonna responded to Trump's myriad executive orders eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion positions within government branches and agencies, and numerous orders repealing protections for LGBTQIA+ individuals and members of other marginalized communities. 'It's so sad to watch our new Government slowly dismantling all the Freedoms we have been fighting for and WON over the years,' she wrote, accompanying her post with a pride flag and a broken heart emoji. 'Don't give up the Fight!' Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
The Hill
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hill
Celebrities rail against Trump's policies — but hesitate to say his name
After years of launching blistering attacks on President Trump, much of Hollywood appears to be casting him in a new 'Harry Potter'-inspired role: He Who Must Not Be Named. Rather than blast Trump by name, many of his celebrity critics are instead zipping their lips when it comes to mentioning the 47th president. From Lady Gaga to Alicia Keys and Shakira, plenty of stars took to the stage at Sunday's Grammy Awards in Los Angeles to speak out about hot-button issues, including transgender rights, immigration and anti-diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. But none of the music artists name-checked Trump while railing against some of his administration's core focuses. Even Grammys host Trevor Noah offered up a Trump-related punchline, minus actually speaking the president's name. 'Yesterday, Beyoncé announced her new tour,' Noah said on the CBS broadcast. 'I will say though, Beyoncé, there's tariffs. We can't afford a new tour. Maple syrup is about to be $50,' Noah said, referring to tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China that had been threatened by Trump. 'Everybody's sort of radio silent in terms of mentioning Trump's name,' noted Mark Harvey, an associate professor and the director of graduate business programs at the University of Saint Mary. The approach from many in the entertainment world just weeks into Trump's second term is in stark contrast to Hollywood's reaction to the commander in chief following his White House win in 2016. A day after Trump's 2017 inauguration, a who's who of Hollywood — including Madonna, Scarlett Johansson and America Ferrera — joined protesters and denounced the new president at the Women's March on Washington and in other U.S. cities. 'There's a night and day difference' between then and now, said Harvey. The first Trump era was marked by celebs making headlines as they assailed Trump on a regular basis. In 2016, singer Cher dubbed Trump a 'f‑‑‑ing idiot,' saying she wished the then-GOP presidential nominee would 'fall off the face of the Earth.' Comedian Kathy Griffin posed for a controversial photo in 2017 with a bloodied, decapitated fake head meant to resemble the president. Robert De Niro received a standing ovation from the audience at the Tony Awards in 2018 after repeatedly declaring 'f‑‑‑ Trump' onstage. But in interviews since his November reelection, performers have kept Trump's name out of the conversation. 'The main thing is I have so much compassion and love for so many people that are afraid today,' Lady Gaga said in an interview with Elle UK conducted just days after Trump's win, which the 'Born This Way' singer said she 'prayed' wouldn't happen. Eva Longoria similarly didn't utter Trump's name while expressing dissatisfaction with him winning the 2024 race against then-Vice President Harris in a November interview with Marie Claire, saying, 'The shocking part is not that he won.' 'It's that a convicted criminal who spews so much hate could hold the highest office,' said the former 'Desperate Housewives' star, who campaigned for Harris and spoke at the Democratic National Convention. These days, said Harvey, Hollywood seems to be reflecting an attitude of 'we've been here before, we've seen this before.' 'What we did last time wasn't having an impact, so maybe we should do things differently now,' Harvey, the author of 'Celebrity Influence: Politics, Persuasion and Issue-Based Advocacy,' said of what Trump's bevy of star-studded critics could be thinking. Many famous faces, Harvey said, likely find themselves in a similar predicament right now as the Democratic Party itself. 'If you compare 2016 to now — the slightest thing, every executive order, everything — had an outraged response. You could argue this was a justifiable outrage, but it also didn't matter,' Harvey said. '[Celebrities] spoke out, and they felt probably by now that some of that was ineffective. I think they're being more choosy about their outrage or how they're going about this. This is going to have to be less about Donald Trump, and more about the issues.' It's a reset that, knowingly or not, echoes a change in messaging that Democrats adopted as part of their 2018 agenda ahead of the midterm elections. In messaging documents released in 2017, Trump's name was not mentioned a single time. 'People need to know not only what we're fighting against,' Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said at the time. 'They need to know what we're fighting for.' Some big names have been open about utilizing a Lord Voldemort-like approach to Trump's name. In J.K. Rowling's famed 'Harry Potter' series, the villain is rarely referred to by his name by the other characters out of fear and worry of retribution. 'I think it might be irresponsible to give him attention,' Stephen Colbert said of Trump in 2021. While 'there's no avoiding him as a subject,' the 'Late Show' host said of the then-ex-president, 'He shouldn't be [an] essential subject because I think that merely empowers him in some way. That's why I don't like saying his name, or showing his picture, if possible.' Colbert made an appeal to his show's viewers to submit alternative name suggestions for Trump on social media using the hashtag #HeWhoShallBeNamed. The late-night host began saying 'Trump' again on his CBS program in 2023. 'The View' co-host Whoopi Goldberg also adopted a personal 'don't speak his name' Trump policy on the ABC daytime talk show. 'He's the president. I'm still not going to say his name. That's not going to change,' Goldberg told viewers a day after the 2024 presidential election. Harvey noted that there are only certain circumstances in which celebrities can exert political influence. While they may fill up movie theaters and concert halls, superstars 'are not good at convincing people on issues that are highly polemic.' 'Celebrities can't get people to give up their guns. Celebrities can't get people to change their mind on abortion,' Harvey said. 'Do you think they're going to change anybody's mind on Donald Trump? Probably not.'
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Madonna says Trump administration is ‘slowly dismantling' Americans' freedoms
Madonna is accusing the Trump administration of 'slowly dismantling all the freedoms we have been fighting for,' while urging her fans not to give up. 'It's so sad to watch our new Government slowly dismantling all the Freedoms we have been fighting for and WON over the years,' the 'Like a Virgin' singer wrote in a Tuesday post on X. 'Don't give up the Fight!' the performer, who was born Madonna Ciccone, told her 2.8 million followers. She included a pair of emojis: a rainbow Pride flag and a broken heart. Madonna's social media message came hours after President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday aimed at restricting access to gender-affirming care for transgender children and teenagers younger than 19. The move by Trump came a day after he signed a separate executive order barring transgender people from serving openly in the military, and days after another demanding the federal government recognize only two genders. Madonna is known as a longtime advocate for the LGBTQ community. In 2023, the 66-year-old music star added a Tennessee tour stop to raise money for trans-rights organizations after the state passed historic anti-LGBTQ legislation. She's also been a fierce — and sometimes controversial — critic of Trump. At the Women's March on Washington in 2017, Madonna made headlines when she said during remarks that she imagined 'blowing up the White House.' In a 2019 interview she said the president was an example of a man who is 'overcompensating for how insecure they feel.' 'A man who is secure with himself, a human who is secure with themselves, doesn't have to go around bullying people all the time,' the entertainer told The New York Times Magazine. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
