They have no idea why they are even there: Musk slams 'Hands Off' protests

US billionaire Elon Musk has hit out at recent protests aimed at him and US President Donald Trump, claiming that many of those who took to the streets were unclear about what they were protesting.

 

On Saturday, thousands took to the streets across the US under the banner ‘Hands Off!’ to oppose what they described as a ‘power grab by Trump and Musk’. Over 1,200 rallies were reportedly held in 50 states, marking the biggest protest movement since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

 

Sharing several videos on his social media platform X, Musk criticises the protesters and claimed the participants were unclear about their actions. “The problem is the puppetmasters, not the puppets, as the latter have no idea why they are even there,” said Musk, who also serves as an advisor to President Donald Trump.

 

 

One of the videos showed a protestor holding a sign that read, “The Fascist Trump regime must go." When asked by a cameraman what made Trump a fascist, the protestor seemed unsure. He paused, fumbled with words, and failed to give a clear answer.

 

Another protester nearby claimed that the US President is trying to control the media, but when pressed on how he [Trump] was doing that, he avoided the question.

 

Eventually, the first protestor pulled a sheet of paper from his bag and admitted, “Someone just gave me the sign near the gate.”

 

In another video clip shared by Musk, a protester held a sign reading, ‘End the Kastikokracy’. When asked what that meant, he took out a printed paper and began reading it aloud. Musk captioned the video saying, “He had to read the paper he was given to understand the sign he was holding.”

 

Despite the criticism, the protests drew large crowds who voiced frustration over what they see as an erosion of democracy and growing authoritarianism under Trump’s new administration

 

Why the protests against Trump and Musk?

 

Thousands of people across all the states of the US have staged protests against Donald Trump and Elon Musk on Saturday (local time). This is mainly because protestors believe the two are working together to centralise power and limit freedoms, especially since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

 

According to Reuters, protestors say Trump is trying to expand executive power in ways that threaten democratic institutions. Musk, now an advisor to Trump, is seen as supporting or enabling this.

 

Many believe Trump is trying to restrict dissent, and Musk’s control over X is viewed as helping amplify government-aligned narratives while silencing opposition.

 

Additionally, protestors argue that new government policies are rolling back protections for minorities, women, and LGBTQ+ communities, and that Musk supports or benefits from these moves. There’s also a growing worry that Musk’s companies, like X and SpaceX, may be supporting government surveillance or using technology in ways that could compromise personal privacy.