Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday on the steps of the Capitol to protest the Trump administration and Project 2025, a conservative plan to enact sweeping change within the federal government.
Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, one of the demonstrators, said she’s “terrified” of four more years under Trump.
“Being around people who still believe that immigrants are great, and that we can gather and we’re not gonna get rounded up and arrested for being here is nice,” said Lincoln-Goldfinch, an Austin-based immigration attorney. “Do I feel confident that it’s gonna be like that at the end of this term? Not really.”
Protesters marched across the grounds, chanting "Dump Elon, dump Trump" and holding signs with phrases like "Immigrants make America great" and "Dissent is patriotic." Many carried American flags and pride flags.
The effort is part of a nationwide demonstration Wednesday at all 50 state capitol buildings. The protest started around 11 and is expected to run until 4 p.m.
The Reddit-fueled campaign aims to denounce Project 2025. Though President Trump has denied any involvement with the plan, his executive actions in his first two weeks in office have mirrored it — including his suggestion of dissolving FEMA, punishing countries that refuse to repatriate undocumented migrants, encouraging government employees to resign and suspending foreign aid altogether.
Both the Texas House and Senate are in session at the Capitol. Democratic state Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, heard the protest from his office and popped outside. Wu, who consistently rails against GOP policies online, said Trump’s recent, sweeping executive actions are proof that our country is “being dismantled piece by piece in front of our eyes.”
Wu hopes the demonstration inspires people to “get out there and do something.”
“The greatest enemy of democracy in this country is not Donald Trump. It’s apathy,” he said. “It’s this idea that everything will be fine even if I don’t do anything."
Police presence was minimal at the start of the protest; KUT reporters counted around a dozen state troopers by 11:30 a.m. In a statement, the Texas Department of Public Safety said it was "continuously monitoring events and their impact on public safety," but that it would not discuss "operational specifics."
"DPS will continue to adjust our operations as needed to maintain public order and address potential threats," the statement read. "The department remains committed to proactively protecting the people and property of Texas."
Some Austin High School students also walked out of class to attend the protest.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Copyright 2025 KUT 90.5
