DOVER, DE – Demonstrators gathered at state capitals nationwide Monday for the "No Kings on Presidents Day" protest, a movement organized nationally by the Fifty-Fifty-One coalition to push back against what they call executive overreach.
In Delaware, dozens of protesters assembled on the steps of Legislative Hall in Dover, joining the national demonstration against the Trump administration.
“We're trying to hang on to the most sacred thing we have, which is our democracy,” said protester Maggie Ottato.
The demonstration was not only a rebuke of President Trump and his policy but also of sweeping federal workforce reductions implemented by the Department of Government Efficiency under Elon Musk.
Cheryl Siskin, with Indivisible Southern Delaware, helped organize the protest and called on lawmakers to oppose what she described as authoritarian leadership.
“We need them to stand up to injustice, we need them to stand up to their oath of office, which is to uphold the Constitution, not just to uphold Trump’s favor,” Siskin said.
Speaking with WBOC, Republican District 36 Rep. Bryan Shupe argued that on the state level, Delaware’s democratic leadership is the real example of unchecked power, citing fiscal concerns and irresponsibility at the state level.
“We have basically a set of kings going on right here in Delaware,” Shupe said. “The same party has been in rule for the past 40 years. In the last four years, we’ve seen a 30% increase in spending in the state of Delaware, but only an 18% increase in revenue.”
Delaware activists say they plan to continue their efforts.