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US Congresswoman Judy Chu delivered a loud, scathing rebuke of the Trump administration’s policies—particularly its economic and social decisions—at a demonstration that drew hundreds to Old Pasadena Saturday.
For the second time in two weekends, demonstrators gathered in front of the Tesla dealership in Old Pasadena, decrying the policies of former President Donald Trump’s administration and the actions of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk.
The number of attendees and participants far surpassed the dozens of members of Indivisible Northeast LA, whose members protested last weekend in the same spot and were back Saturday, helping to attract a steady stream of horn-honking and thumbs-up from supportive motorists.
The peaceful protesters waved signs and chanted slogans denouncing both Trump and Musk, voicing frustrations over economic disparities, corporate influence, and the lingering effects of policies already enacted during Trump’s six-week tenure.
Chu attended the President’s speech before Congress earlier this week, and said, “I sat on the house floor this Tuesday night and I heard the most vile comments. It was toxic, it was poisonous. I just had to walk off the floor because his speech was full of lies.”
Listing those lies, Chu said, “He said that firing American federal workers would be making America better. No. Instead, he has fired thousands of workers from the National Weather Service, which we rely on to tell us if there’s a dangerous weather event. He has fired thousands of IRS workers, and they are the ones that are in charge of getting us our refunds.
“And the worst of all, he is going to fire 83,000 workers at the Veterans Administration,” she continued. “Can you imagine that our veterans who sacrificed so much would not be able to get the service that they need?,” she said, to a chorus of boos and chants.
Chu also took aim at Musk’s involvement with DOGE, criticizing what she described as a lack of accountability from tech billionaires who wield significant influence over financial markets and public discourse.
In an interview, Silver underscored the event’s significance in holding powerful individuals and institutions accountable and in demonstrating.
“I’d been thinking, ‘Why aren’t we protesting?’” she said. “What is happening is just terrible. And I was hiking in the mountains, going over and over in my mind, and all of a sudden it occurred to me, ‘Well, if nobody else is doing it, I’ll do it. And it just started so simply with emails to my friends, like-minded friends.’ And this is what we have today.”
Silver said the demonstration was part of a broader effort to push back against policies that she and others see as detrimental to everyday Americans.
The presence of PUSD Board President Jennifer Hall Lee underscored the educational and social implications of the issues raised. Hall Lee urged participants to protest.
“You have to understand that the citizens are the most powerful people in this nation,” she stressed. “And I do my part in calling Congressmembers.”
“In one Republican office,” she said, “they answered the phone and I said, ‘What’s going on? Why is Elon Musk in our data? What’s going on here?’ And they said, ‘Well, that’s the Executive branch.’”
“And I said, ‘You are supposed to be looking at what they’re doing. This is checks and balances.’ So if the GOP has let go of the fundamental mechanism of our freedom, which is checks and balances, then they’re not fighting for Americans. They’re not fighting for our freedom. And I don’t want Putin in charge of the globe.”
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