CNN: Protesters Stage ‘Hands Off!’ Anti-Trump Rallies Across U.S.

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
Also happening right now. Protesters angry about President Trump‘s new tariffs and his dramatic cuts to the federal government are rallying in cities across the U.S. and around the world. The so-called hands off protests are just now getting underway, and they‘re expected to be the largest one day demonstrations since Trump took office. CNN‘s Brian Todd is in the nation‘s capital of Washington, D.C. Ivan Rodriguez is at a rally in Atlanta. So let‘s begin with you in the nation‘s capital. Brian, what are you seeing? What‘s the turnout like?
>> Of. Humanity? Our four legged.
>> Fredricka, a very good and energetic turnout. Thousands and thousands of people here at the foot of the Washington Monument. The speeches are just getting started here. Our photojournalist, Joe wagner, is going to kind of span the crowd here and kind of give you a sense of just the thickness and the energy of the crowd. We were actually back there a short time ago, right where the crowd was thickest, and we couldn‘t get a signal. So we had to kind of come away from the center. Look at this. It‘s a lot of people down here at the foot of the Washington Monument. And again, the theme is hands off. This is a protest against the cuts that Donald Trump and Elon Musk have made to the federal government. We also talked to people who are here to protest the tariffs that have been imposed. People coming here from as far away as Seattle, from Baltimore, from Buffalo, New York, from New Jersey, who we‘ve spoken to. I‘ve got a gentleman here, vince gardina from Baltimore. Vince, talk to me about your motivation for coming.
>> Well.
>> I‘m very concerned. About the fact that Donald.
>> Trump.
>> Who is acting.
>> Like a.
>> Dictator.
>> Would come into here, start enacting policies without the approval of Congress laying off people without the due process.
>> And implementing policies that have profound impacts on people‘s lives, on veterans, on the environment without any deliberation at all. No deliberation with Congress, no deliberation with the public. It‘s completely illegal. And I guess we have to expect that since he‘s a convicted felon.
>> Thanks for talking to us, vince. Thanks for thanks for joining us. Okay, so that‘s one opinion you‘ve got singing going on here. Members of Congress slated to speak. Congressman Jamie Raskin from Maryland is slated to speak here. Congressman maxwell frost from Florida. Among the speakers here, government union leaders are here. And again, thousands of people, some of them government employees who have been laid off, some of them who have family, who they‘re worried about being laid off. We‘ve talked to a range of people here who have these concerns and just take a look at the energy in the crowd here. Lots of sentiment here. They just want to start fighting back against some of the cuts that the organizers here call this the most brazen power grab in modern American history. So that is the theme here. One thing we can tell you also that the White House garden tours that were scheduled for today, those have been postponed until tomorrow because of the presence of this protest near the White House grounds and another pro-Palestinian protest. First Lady Melania Trump‘s office announcing that those garden tours postponed until tomorrow at an abundance of caution just because of the the size and the scope of the two protests here in Washington today, fredricka.
>> All right. That‘s very interesting. And a consequence of what‘s taking place there and a representation of the passion that is heating up, really across the country. Brian Todd, thanks so much. Let‘s go to Ivan Rodriguez now in Atlanta. Ivan, what‘s happening there? What kind of turnout are you seeing?
>> Fred? We‘re standing in piedmont park in the heart of the city. And that passion we saw there in Washington, D.C., with Brian Todd. We‘re also seeing here this rally is not expected to start for about another hour, but you‘re already seeing people line up here in areas of the park, either to check in, grab water, whatever it may be, pick up signs. Many of these signs aimed against the Trump Administration. Elon Musk doge as well. I want to bring in here rob helfenbein with indivisible atl. He‘s one of the organizers. Rob, talk to me a little bit about what made you want to come out and be a part of this today? Absolutely. Well, I‘m an old social studies teacher, and. So what I‘m.
>> Concerned about is what seems to be a constitutional crisis and the disregard of the checks and balances that the Founders set up has me really, really concerned for this country. But also, it‘s been an amazing thing to be organizing with folks here and see the folks coming out in such numbers. We have over 5000 people that have rsvp‘d for this event, and we think it might even be more. We‘re excited to see what those final numbers coming from apb are.
>> Definitely a lot of people who are interested. And again, this is an event that‘s taking place across the country, spread from Georgia all the way to Alaska. These sorts of rallies are taking place. And rob, obviously those who support those who support the Trump. Administration, currently, they would say that this is a way to save taxpayer money. But again, what we‘ve heard today is sort of the lack of guardrails or little guardrails attached to that.
>> That‘s exactly right. And what we‘re seeing, I think there‘s a there‘s a bit of a sense by maybe some in the media, but certainly some politicians that the American people aren‘t engaged and fired up about this. And I think events like this all across the country only prove the lie. They‘re Americans, georgians, atlantans are deeply, deeply concerned. We‘re seeing our neighbors lose their jobs. We‘re seeing teachers. Also their jobs being threatened. And title one which is student services are all in jeopardy now. And it‘s a very serious moment. So.
>> Fred, again, this will start here within the hour. And they‘ll March from piedmont park to the state capitol, where there will be several speakers there from the CDC, Georgia state Senate.
>> And.
>> Also the NAACP.