President Donald Trump condemned demonstrators protesting Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and suggested they were professional “paid troublemakers.”
On Monday, Trump took to social media to criticize protesters he said were “attending Republican Town Hall Meetings.”
“It is all part of the game for the Democrats, but just like our big LANDSLIDE ELECTION, it’s not going to work for them!” Trump said in a post to Truth Social.
A slew of GOP lawmakers who support Musk’s DOGE have been booed and castigated at state offices and town halls in recent weeks. Much of the anti-DOGE activity has been spearheaded by Indivisible and MoveOn, two Democratic-aligned organizations linked to left-wing billionaire George Soros.
Several congressional Republicans targeted in recent town halls, including Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) and Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), highlighted Trump’s statement swiftly on Monday.
“Disruptive Democrats are fomenting outrage with the same old tired scare tactics,” Self said in a post to X. “But the TRUTH is on our side.”
“Over 77 million Americans voted for President Trump’s agenda,” he continued. “America is proud of what @realdonaldtrump is accomplishing!”
Self encountered outraged anti-DOGE protesters at his town hall in Wylie, Texas, on Saturday. Democrats framed the demonstrators as “constituents” from “another large, angry crowd at a Republican town hall in a deep red district.” Texas Republicans characterized the incident as Democrats who “showed up only to cause disruptions” in a town hall meant “to connect with constituents.”
Marshall similarly faced people demonstrating against DOGE during his town hall on Saturday. The Kansas senator left the event early because of the opposition. His office later told a local network it believed the demonstrators were “Democratic operatives” from out of state.
“Democrat operatives who couldn’t place Oakley, Kansas on a map before today sabotaged a local town hall — even still, Senator Marshall stayed and answered every question that was asked for 45 minutes,” Brent Robertson, Marshall’s chief of staff, told KSN. “Real Kansans overwhelmingly support President Trump’s DOGE initiative, shrinking the size of the federal government and firing career bureaucrats. Local Oakley citizens had no clue who these people were. Senator Marshall is to be commended for staying as long as he did.”
Marshall wrote a two-word response to the president’s post and accused “paid demonstrators” of showing up to GOP town halls on Monday.
“Can confirm,” he said.
Musk has speculated that opposition to DOGE has not been sparked by organic anger from constituents.
MoveOn told the Washington Examiner that it does “not pay or reimburse members or volunteers.” Indivisible did not reply to requests for comment. Documents posted by the group indicate it reimbursed members up to $200 for “eligible expenses” associated “with your ‘Musk Or Us’ actions.” Soros has donated millions of dollars to both organizations, and they have organized protests at town halls and lawmakers’ state offices across the country.
AMY GLEASON IDENTIFIED AS ACTING DOGE LEADER AFTER WHITE HOUSE INSISTED IT WAS NOT MUSK
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) pushed back against accusations that opposition to DOGE has been fueled by Democratic “operatives.”
“Another day, another lie from these people who are out of control,” Jeffries said on social media in a video, saying he was “told that Donald Trump, Mike Johnson, and the extreme MAGA Republicans are claiming that Democrats are sending paid protesters into their town hall meetings.”