Hundreds of protests have taken place across the US in the first major pushback against Donald Trump’s administration.

Following Trump’s tariff announcements, most major stocks fell between five to 15% on the day.

In response to this and other actions the administration has taken, 1,300 rallies were organised by 150 distinct groups across all the 50 states yesterday.

West Wing Reports founder and White House Bureau Chief Paul Brandus told The Anton Savage Show that citizens seem to be hitting their breaking point just two months into the new administration.

“People are just fed up and just in shock with the chaos, the rapid attack on the Constitution, literally just doing things to undermine the economy,” he said.

“Trump says it’s all good in the long run, but people just don’t understand why he’s doing all of this, and I think people are afraid.

“I think they’re panicking that our way of life in so many respects is being challenged and undermined by this man, so they’ve had it.”

Protesters march down Fifth Avenue between 42nd Street and 23rd Street to speak out against President Trump and Elon Musk's agendas regarding health care, social security and other policies. Image: Andrea Renault. 6 April 2025

Mr Brandus said that some Republican commentators and politicians seem to have “found a little bit of spine” to voice their concerns against Trump.

“What’s behind all that, I think, is that some of these congressmen and senators are finally understanding that back home in their states and in their congressional districts, there are people who are actually being hurt by this,” he said.

“They’re not just losing money in the stock market; they’re losing their jobs, they’re being laid off by Elon Musk and this whole DOGE stuff.

“The federal government is not just here in Washington; its impact is all over the country – the federal spending and federal contracts and all that, it has a ripple effect all over the country.

“These congressmen and senators are getting an earful from the people who voted for them, voted for Trump; so yes, I think this pushback that we’re seeing is very symbolic.”

The economy

According to Mr Brandus, the American economy was considered “the envy of the world” before Trump took office.

“We did not inherit a bad economy,” he said.

“If you remember last fall, everyone from publications like the Economist and the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal were all glowing about how good the American economy was.

“They said, and I’m quoting, it was ‘the envy of the world’ - we had low unemployment, low gas prices, foreign investment was pouring into the country.

“Even on Joe Biden’s watch, a supposedly anti-fossil fuel guy, we were the number one oil and gas producer in the world – he did not inherit a bad economy.”

Mr Brandus said he doubts any “sunny uplands” Trump promises will manifest anytime soon.

Main image: Protesters march down Fifth Avenue between 42nd Street and 23rd Street to speak out against President Trump and Elon Musk's agendas regarding health care, social security and other policies. Image: Andrea Renault. 6 April 2025