As thousands came together on Saturday in nationwide protests to denounce President Donald Trump’s administration, several rallygoers held noteworthy signs emblazoned with clever phrases and imagery to relay messages of defiance.
Dubbed the “Hands Off” protests, rallies cropped up across the U.S. and the globe, with the sole purpose of putting a stop to the “most brazen power grab in modern history,” according to organizers.
While many attendees marched empty-handed, others displayed handmade signs featuring fighting words aimed at Trump, JD Vance, and tech billionaire Elon Musk, leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, which has cut tens of thousands of government jobs.
Below is a selection of some of the best signs spotted at the protests.
One Wisconsinite held a sign that read: “Wisconsin hates Elon Musk so much it could be one of his kids.” The message, in reference to the Tesla CEO’s strained relationship with his estranged daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson, appeared to entertain The Handmaid’s Tale actor Bradley Whitford, who shared a picture of the woman and her sign on X.
Hundreds of miles away, in New York City, another woman showed off a sign with the words: “Super callous fragile racist sexist nazi potus” — a pun on the nonsensical word “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” popularized by the 1964 children’s movie Mary Poppins. A photo of the “epic” sign was featured in a carousel of snaps taken by Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon at the New York City protest.
Nixon also included a picture of a man holding a sign with the all-capped phrase: “TURD REICH NO!” Illustrations of Trump, Vance, and Musk were featured underneath.
Across the country, a trio in California posed with a sign declaring: “Abort unwanted presidencies.”
Another sign that made one X user “spit out [their] drink” was one that read: “We’re all the couch now.” At first glance, the sign might not make sense, but for those aware of the false rumors that circulated last summer claiming Vance had sex with a couch, you’ll likely understand the underlying message.
Bwahaahha.
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) April 5, 2025
I spit out my drink.
JD Vance isn't gonna like this sign at a Hands Off! protest.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/P6A3jEfAl2
Orlando Weekly reporter McKenna Schueler covered a local rally where one woman proudly held a sign warning people to “know your parasites.” Below, two illustrations of a dog and deer tick were pictured, alongside a third image of Trump labeled: “Luna tick.”
“Honk if you never drunk texted war plans” was also a popular quip seen on numerous signs. The message was in reference to the recent controversy in which a group of Trump advisers inadvertently added The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a group chat containing a detailed account of “war plans.”
Favorite sign so far. pic.twitter.com/MlTRAp22Xs
— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) April 5, 2025
An ex-couple, who had been married 30 years, teamed up at the Los Angeles event with signs proclaiming: “You know times are bad if you partner with your ex-husband/ex-wife to a protest.”
From Los Angeles to London, tens of thousands marched to advocate for civil rights, healthcare, democracy, workers’ rights and LGBTQ+ rights that have been under “assault” by the Trump administration and GOP Congress members, organizers said.
“What we witnessed today was nothing short of extraordinary. Across the country and around the world, people came together to say: we will not be silent while our rights, our futures, and our democracy are under attack,” Rahna Epting, executive director of advocacy group MoveOn, said in a statement.
“This peaceful movement is powered by everyday people — nurses, teachers, students, parents — who are rising up to protect what matters most. We are united, we are relentless, and we are just getting started.”
