Protesters gather in Uniontown to rally against Trump鈥檚 policies, Elon Musk
More than 100 demonstrators gathered at the George C. Marshall Memorial Plaza in Uniontown on Saturday to protest the policies and actions that President Donald Trump has taken since resuming office.
Protesters waved signs with messages denouncing Trump鈥檚 handling of international relations and domestic policies, and chanted 鈥淒ump Trump!鈥� and 鈥淗ey hey, ho ho, Elon Musk has got to go.鈥�
Some motorists expressed their disagreement, while others honked their horns and gave thumbs-up in support of the demonstration.
鈥淚鈥檓 appalled. I鈥檓 outraged with what is going on in the government,鈥� said Danielle Lancaster, a middle school teacher who lives in Uniontown and attended the rally with her husband, Matthew Lancasater. 鈥淚鈥檓 worried for my children, I鈥檓 worried for my students, and, you know, it鈥檚 just scary what could happen in the future under this administration.鈥�
Demonstrators said they were dismayed by the flurry of actions over the past seven weeks, ranging from the president鈥檚 efforts to lay off thousands of federal workers, an immigration crackdown, a rollback of environmental protections, and his announcement of tariffs on imports, all of which Trump says has the country on the right track.
鈥淗ands off Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid,鈥� read one sign, while another said, 鈥淧rotect Veterans Rights.鈥�
Other protesters expressed concern with the influence of tech billionaire Elon Musk and his role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and Project 2025, a blueprint for overhauling the federal government.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 going on in this country is absolutely terrible. They鈥檙e taking our freedoms away. I didn鈥檛 vote for Musk,鈥� said Pam Newmeyer of Uniontown. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got a lot of work to do. We have to save Social Security.鈥�
While those gathered expressed concerns about Trump鈥檚 actions, his approval rating is 47% 鈥� the highest it鈥檚 been in either of his times in office, according to an NBC News poll released Sunday. The efforts of DOGE received a 46% approval rating in the poll, but 51% of those queried held a negative view of Musk.
Saturday鈥檚 event was organized by the Democratic Women of Fayette County, one of the largest Democratic Women鈥檚 organizations in Pennsylvania.
Said Tracy Wllson, president of DWFC, 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important that we not only protest in Washington, D.C., but that it鈥檚 important for people in Fayette County to know that there are still blue dots in the county and that we are going to fight,鈥� said Tracy Wilson, president of DWFC, noting the event provided a platform for people who are worried about what they believe is a government that no longer serves the interests of the people.
Other protests are being planned, but dates have not yet been scheduled.
Mary Ann Zsiros of Uniontown, a women鈥檚 health nurse practitioner, said she attended the rally 鈥渢o stand up for the rights of everyone 鈥� women, men and marginalized communities,鈥� and she is worried that 鈥淭rump is destroying our country.鈥�
Mary Macar of Uniontown, a retired Laurel Highlands Middle School teacher, said she is concerned about a litany of issues; among them, Trump鈥檚 cuts to federal programs including the Department of Education, his efforts to ramp up timber production and mining in national forests and on public lands, and souring relations with once-close allies, including Canada.
鈥淲e need education. You don鈥檛 just go in and cut the Department of Education without realizing what you鈥檙e doing. You don鈥檛 just go in and cut cancer research by the billions of dollars when people are dying daily from cancer. You don鈥檛 just go in and randomly cut jobs and programs at the (U.S. Department of Agriculture), you have to have a plan,鈥� said Macar, who
Rick Yakubic carried a sign that said, 鈥淩esist.鈥�
鈥淭his Republican party is not for the working people, they never will be for working people. Elon Musk called Social Security a Ponzi scheme,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou can see what they want to do with Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. They want to do away with it, and people need to wake up. All elections have consequences, and we鈥檙e seeing that now.鈥�