Massive Protests Take USA by Storm

Summary

Summary of "Massive Protests Take USA by Storm" - The MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode Overview

In the April 7, 2025 episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast, hosted by the Meiselas brothers—Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meisellis—the focus is on the unprecedented wave of massive protests sweeping across the United States and internationally. These demonstrations, part of the "Hands Off" movement, vehemently oppose key figures such as Elon Musk and Donald Trump, advocating for the preservation of democracy and combating perceived authoritarianism.

Massive Nationwide Protests

The episode opens with the correspondents detailing the sheer scale of the protests, emphasizing their widespread nature:

• Boston: Over 100,000 participants demonstrated, with aerial footage showcasing the immense crowd size.

• Chicago: A massive protest in downtown Chicago highlighted the city's active role in the movement.

• New York City: An aerial view captured the enormity of the rally against Musk and Trump, underscoring the movement's significant presence in major urban centers.

• Washington, D.C.: The National Mall became a focal point, with protests growing to over 100,000 attendees. Correspondent Aaron Parnas provided on-the-ground insights, stating, “When he was there was 50,000, 100,000, I think the full count in D.C. is going to be significantly higher” [04:20].

On-the-Ground Reporting and Interviews

Aaron Parnas played a pivotal role in embedding with protesters and interviewing key Democratic leaders:

• Congressman Jamie Raskin: In a heartfelt interview, Raskin addressed concerns of federal employees facing termination, asserting, “We are winning in the courts... we are going to fight for them to get their jobs back” [06:30]. He emphasized the movement's commitment to combating “authoritarianism in the country” [06:06].

• Congressmember Eric Swalwell: Swalwell delivered a forceful speech criticizing economic mismanagement and leadership, declaring, “To Donald Trump, I say get your ass off the golf course and face the people” [09:52]. He further stated, “This is what kicking the shit out of fascism looks like” [10:43], highlighting the movement's staunch opposition to perceived fascist tendencies.

Creative Protest Expressions

The episode showcases the creativity and passion of protesters through various signs and symbolic acts:

• Humorous Signs: Examples include “IKEA has better cabinets” in Kalispell, Montana, and “They are eating the checks. They are eating the balances” in Illinois.

• Symbolic Costumes: Protesters dressed as penguins to mock tariffs, with signs like “traitor in Chief” targeting Donald Trump.

• Satirical Posters: Images of Donald Trump labeled as “the complete and total slob” and comparisons between global leaders, such as “Putin, Dick, and Donald Trump” in a single poster captioned “trader.”

Social Media and Network Coverage

The MeidasTouch Network strategically partnered with grassroots organizations like MoveOn to amplify the protests' reach. The network's extensive coverage included live broadcasts and video clips from various cities, ensuring a comprehensive portrayal of the movement's momentum.

A notable highlight was the Vanity Fair article titled “The Trump Resistance Won’t Be Televised. It’ll Be on Midas Touch,” which lauded the network's role in fostering a thriving progressive movement during a challenging political climate.

Public Sentiment and Leadership Support

Leaders within the movement, such as Senator Cory Booker and Democratic House Representative Greg Cassar, appeared at protests, reinforcing the message of unity and resistance. Booker remarked, “We achieved every great thing in this country because average citizens stood up and said enough is enough” [07:45], encapsulating the democratic spirit driving the protests.

Responses to Opposition

Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s responses to the protests were acknowledged, with Musk threatening arrests and expressing fear over the movement's size and impact. The MeidasTouch Network countered these narratives by emphasizing the peaceful nature of the demonstrations and the widespread public discontent with the current leadership.

International Dimensions

The protests extended beyond the U.S., with significant gatherings in cities like London and Concord, New Hampshire, indicating the movement's global resonance against authoritarian figures and policies.

Conclusion and Future Outlook

Ben Meisellis concluded the episode by highlighting the ongoing nature of the protests and the network’s commitment to covering them extensively. He encouraged listeners to stay engaged through the MeidasTouch platforms, including their Substack for in-depth analyses and daily recaps.

“We are going to continue to cover all these protests and support the movement as it grows,” Ben affirmed, signaling the network's dedication to advocating for democracy and supporting the MeidasMighty community.

Notable Quotes

• Aaron Parnas [07:45]: “We achieved every great thing in this country because average citizens stood up and said enough is enough... it’s time we bend the arc of the moral universe more towards justice.”

• Congressman Jamie Raskin [06:30]: “We are going to fight for them to get their jobs back and then we are going to make sure that people who've lost their jobs... are part of this movement against authoritarianism in the country.”

• Congressmember Eric Swalwell [09:52]: “To Donald Trump, I say get your ass off the golf course and face the people.”

• Aaron Parnas [10:43]: “This is what kicking the shit out of fascism looks like.”

Final Thoughts

This episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast serves as a comprehensive chronicle of the massive protests underway, blending on-the-ground reporting with insightful interviews and engaging discussions. It underscores the Meiselas brothers' commitment to supporting democratic values and providing a platform for voices advocating for change.

Transcript

[Ben Meisellis]

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[Aaron Parnas]

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[Ben Meisellis]

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[Aaron Parnas]

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[Correspondent]

Americans are fed up. The hands off protests on Saturday took the nation by storm. Thousands of protests in cities and towns in states across the United States of America and internationally as well. Millions of people in the aggregate were out there protesting in different cities. We saw hundreds of thousands of people and these numbers are only going to grow as we head into Democracy Summer. Now, the Midas Touch Network was there broadcasting all of it. We partnered with MoveOn and some of the other grassroots organizations who were leading the protests. What you saw at the beginning of this video was part of our coverage. That was from the New York protests. What I want to do on this video is highlight some of the protests that were taking place across the country and the world. I also want to share with you what our correspondent Aaron Parness was seeing on the ground in Washington, D.C. as he was interviewing some of the top Democratic leaders for the Midas Touch Network. All right, let's take a look at Boston, where there were over 100,000 people protesting. I want to show you what that scene looked like. Let's play it.

[Aaron Parnas]

Thank you for being part of the resistance.

[Correspondent]

Now I want to show you the massive, massive protest that was taking place in downtown Chicago as part of the hands off movement. Let's play the clip now, just so you see here as well. And credit to Marco Foster for putting a lot of these together and aggregating it from groups like Our Revolution. This is an aerial view of the massive protest taking place in New York City yesterday as part of the hands off rally against Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Just look at how massive it actually was in size. Play this clip. And here is the massive crowd that continued to grow yesterday at the national mall in Washington, D.C. for the hands off rally against Musk and Trump. Let's play the clip. We had Midas touch correspondent and TikTok superstar Aaron Parnas in Washington, D.C. embedded in the protests yesterday. Here's what he had to say earlier on as the numbers continued to grow. When he was there was 50,000, 100,000, I think the full count in D.C. is going to be significantly higher. But this was yesterday when Parnas was there. Let's play it.

[Ben Meisellis]

I am here right now at the massive anti Trump, anti Musk protest happening right behind me. We're at the National Monument. Look at this. Let me show you the scenes right now.

[Correspondent]

Folks.

[Ben Meisellis]

It's only about 1150, 15. There are several thousand people here. They're expecting a lot more and they're covering most of the National Monument, the Washington Monument on National Mall. It's people go far, far back over there. Now, allegedly, we're expecting a number of speakers from Congressman Jamie Raskin, Congressman Maxwell Frost and many more. So I'll see what I can cover. But right now it's just several thousand people across the DMV area protesting Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Let me know if you want to see something specific. I'm happy to interview anyone. I'm happy to talk to anyone. So we'll see what happens. But I'm out here. If you're out here, let me know and follow along. I'll do a full breakdown on my sub stack like I always do on my link in bio at the top of the link tree. So stay tuned.

[Correspondent]

Parnas then had the opportunity to interview Democratic Congressmember Jamie Raskin. Let me show you what went down. Let's play it.

[Ben Meisellis]

I'm here with Congressman Jamie Raskin, M.D. now, Congressman, why did you choose to come to this place? Protests, and why is it so impactful in this moment right now?

[Congressman Jamie Raskin]

Well, my congressional district is in Maryland and it borders Washington, D.C. so we have tens of thousands of people from Maryland who come down here. So this is the one that I did, even though I was in Florida actually, with Maxwell Frost for the rest of the weekend. So this demonstration across the country with more than a thousand different protests is going to, is going to further catalyze popular resistance and opposition to this deranged program that they're imposing on the country.

[Ben Meisellis]

Now, a lot of folks are concerned right there. A lot of people have told me that they're being fired, especially at the IRS right now. What's your message to those who have been terminated at the federal government? And how can they fight back? What can they do in this moment right now?

[Congressman Jamie Raskin]

I'm sorry, I missed a good one.

[Ben Meisellis]

Yeah, yeah, no worries. A lot of folks are being, are worried they're being terminated right now at the federal government and they, and they want to know what they can do, what's their future? So what's your message?

[Congressman Jamie Raskin]

We are winning in the courts. Like for example, they fired tents of thousands of probationary employees, which was completely lawless. And so they've been restored theoretically to their jobs, but they're not letting them go back to work. They are giving them pay, but they're not having them do their jobs, which is absurd. But we're going to fight for them to get their jobs back and then we are going to make sure that people who've lost their jobs, who can't get their jobs back are part of this movement against authoritarianism in the country.

[Ben Meisellis]

Congressman, thank you so much.

[Correspondent]

Now I just want to also go back and share with you the massive scope of that Boston event. Take a look right here, the aerial view of the massive protest in Boston yesterday. This was incredible. You see how many people were there. The official count was around 100,000. I think it's actually more than that when I think that's a conservative estimate. Let me show you this right here. This was also from the hands off protests. Senator Cory Booker joining a hands off Protest in Montclair, NJ with a message for us all. We achieved great things in this country because average citizens stood up and said enough is enough. And this is one of those moments. Play this clip.

[Aaron Parnas]

We achieved every great thing in this country because average citizens stood up and said enough is enough. They banded together and bonded together across differences, across gender, race and even party and said it's time we admit to bend the arc of the moral universe more towards justice. And so what I'm seeing now is outrageous and I hope we all are outraged. But it's time to turn our anger into action, our worry into work. It's time to turn our fear into fight because we have seen these kind of fights before and we won.

[Correspondent]

Take a look at another one of these huge protests taking place in Kansas City, Missouri yesterday. Play the clip. Also massive protests in Salt Lake City, Utah. Let's play it. Now. Here was a huge crowd that gathered in Denver, Colorado. Yesterday. Let's play it. And here were protesters marching in Charlotte, North Carolina as part of the hands off movement again in thousands of cities and towns across the United States. Let's play it.

[Aaron Parnas]

USA.

[Correspondent]

In Washington, D.C. congressmember Eric Swalwell delivered a speech in front of the huge crowd right there. Let me show you what went down. Let's play it because as you stand.

[Aaron Parnas]

Here right now, we have gone from a Trump slump to a Trump train wreck. We are going into a red recession. Our 401ks are 201ks. Our costs at Walmart and Home Depot and Target, where four out of five of the things we buy are from overseas are going up. And where is Donald Trump? He's golfing. So to Donald Trump, I say get your ass off the golf course and face the people.

[Correspondent]

And here's Congressmember Eric Swalwell again. Let's play it.

[Aaron Parnas]

This is what kicking the shit out of fascism looks like. This is what it looks like. Like.

[Correspondent]

We'Ve seen a lot of Democratic Congress member Jamie Raskin also gave an incredible speech in Washington, D.C. let me play that clip for you as well.

[Aaron Parnas]

He gave us the right to speak freely, to publish freely, to worship freely, to assemble freely, and to petition government for a redress of grievance. As Dr. King said, we've got the right to protest for what is right without being arrested, deported, or fired. We got the right to read the books we want, including 1984 and the Handmaid's Tale, even if they now belong in the nonfiction section. We've even got the right to call the president deranged for crashing our economy, destroying $6 trillion of wealth, and turning my 401k into a 201.

[Correspondent]

Want to highlight some great signs that we saw at the protest yesterday? Saw a sign like this in Kalispell, Montana. IKEA has better cabinets. Here's another great one in Illinois. They are eating the checks. They are eating the balances. Here's another one. People dressed up as penguins because Donald Trump's regime tariffed penguins for 10, 10% tariffs on penguins. The penguin showed up to protest at a hands off event. And they had the photo of Donald Trump, the portrait that Trump hated in the from the Colorado State House. And it says traitor in Chief. Another A plus protest sign at a hands off protest in Rockford, Illinois. It says pretend where Melania Donald hands off. Some other great photos and protest signs of Donald Trump and Putin. Here's Donald Trump, the complete and total slob. Another very creative sign of Donald Trump as a little baby. Here's one that says we are not okay. One says Trump's a little B word. Then there's another poster that has a photo of President Zelinsky. It says not a dictator. A photo of Putin that says dictator, A photo of J.D. vance that says Dick, and a photo of Donald Trump all in the same poster that says trader. Here's another one. Another great sign. Want to share with you hunk if you've never drunk texted war plans. Here a grandma had a sign that said I'd call Trump a C word, but he lacks depth and warmth. So A lot of signs like that. We don't really curse here on the Midas Touch Network, but want to highlight what some of those signs are. Let me just share with you some of the other protests where we were either tagged in or, you know, or, or, or there were so many. So if I didn't cat capture your city, I may have done it in an earlier video, the ones I did yesterday. But I'm going to do my best to highlight some of these protests, like this one in Helena, Montana, people coming out in Montana. In Gurney, Illinois, a lot of people coming out. Kalispell, Montana, loads of protesters in San Diego. Omaha, Nebraska was Fresno, California which actually went Trump in this last election. Lots of protesters there. In Las Vegas, Nevada, protesters are showing up in force. Uh, this was in Austin, Texas where Democratic House Representative Greg Cassar made an appearance. And here's what he had to say. Let's play this clip.

[Congressman Jamie Raskin]

I love you guys.

[Aaron Parnas]

Fire who? Elon Musk. Fire who?

[Correspondent]

Protesters in Rockford, Illinois. Protesters in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in Hawaii. This was an interesting one from Philip Gorevich, from a writer from the New Yorker responding to more naming. I've never seen anything like this in New York City. Fifth Avenue covered from 42nd street well to the 20s. Nobody prepared for this volume. Volunteers are holding the traffic on all the side streets. No police in sight. Philip Gorbich then responds, I asked one high ranking policeman I saw on Fifth Avenue why there were so few police. He said, quote, we did not expect anything like this. Don't tell anyone, but I've only got 44 officers out there and it's a great crowd. No event incidents, which I think is very important. These were peaceful protests, peaceful protests across the country despite there being peaceful protests. Elon Musk was calling for the arrest of people and threatening people as these protests are growing. Clearly Elon Musk and Donald Trump very, very scared about the size and scope and growing nature of these protests. Go to a place like San Luis Obispo, California. 10,000 people showed up there in San Luis Obispo. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, hands off protest. Macon, Georgia, huge protests there. Asheville, North Carolina, Illinois State Capitol, Akron, Ohio, Iceland. We had lots of people dressed up, whether they were in New Hampshire, other areas in the New England region, wearing the Midas gear and showing up with Midas gear. Huge turnout in Houston as well. I mean folks, people were out and about with force. Try to show you some other ones right here. Atlanta, what's up? Pennsylvania, Lancaster was up pronouncing it right this time. Duluth, Minnesota, what's up. Asheville, North Carolina Columbus, Ohio Portland, Maine Cincinnati, Ohio Going internationally, London. There were also protests in Canada, Concord, New Hampshire Richmond. I could keep going on and on and on. I'm sorry if I missed your protest, sorry if I missed it, but I can't have this video go on forever. But we are going to cover all this stuff here at the Midas Touch Network. Now you may recall the recent article that Vanity Fair wrote about the Midas Touch Network and here's what the title was. This was from March 13, 2025 the Trump Resistance won't be televised. It'll be on Midas Touch. The progressive network is thriving in a second Trump term, recently dethroning Joe Rogan and becoming a destination for prominent Democrats. The resistance will be on Midas Touch. We've made this such an important point of ours as we grow this network to make sure that we have these rallies on. We knew corporate news was not going to cover it and or the way they should be covering it. And now that we had this huge platform, it was vital for us to share it with you and show you it. This is what Elon Musk posted by the way he responded to this account. Amuse Soros funded Indivisible is admitting they are behind the 1300 paid protests happening today in all 50 states. Democratic billionaires are funding uprisings and they should be held legally accountable for violence. Musk responds they will be. Folks. These were peaceful protests, unlike Musk and Donald Trump who are destroying the lives of veterans, destroying Social Security and Medicaid. As we responded on the Midas Touch account, keep downplaying the protests at your own peril. Ellen and Donald keep threatening Americans. The protests will only get bigger. Trump is hated. Musk is hated. The political winds have shifted. People are fed up. This is only the beginning. I'm Ben Meisellis from the Midas Touch Network. Great work to all of the organizers of the protest. Everybody who showed up loved all the people wearing the Midas gear as well. These protests will continue to grow in times that are certainly filled with doom and gloom news as Donald Trump and Elon Musk and the regime continued to take a wrecking ball to the United States of America and the world. It is great to see people rising up. People will rise up. People will take back our freedoms. I'm Ben Meisellis. This is the Midas Touch Network Hit subscribe let's get to 5 million. Can't get enough Midas? Check out the Midas plus substack for ad free Articles Reports Podcasts daily recaps from Ron Fill, Lepkowski and more. Sign up for free [e-mail].