Hundreds held signs protesting businessman Elon Musk and President Donald Trump’s administration at Miller Park as the sun set on Presidents’ Day, their hands pink from the cold air.
“The people, united, can never be divided,” protesters shouted as cars honked in support.
Chattanoogans gathered for a second “Democracy in Action” rally in two weeks, positioning themselves close to the federal courthouse that houses offices of U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, both Republicans from Tennessee, and U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Southeast Tennessee.
(READ MORE: Federal agency plans to sell some Tennessee buildings)
The organizers are concerned about Trump’s freeze of federal funding, which has been halted by the courts, and with Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which they believe is making cuts to federal programs that only Congress has the authority to defund.
They outlined three demands: “get Elon Musk out of personal data and classified information; stop the unconstitutional withholding of federal funds; host an in-person town hall and address the concerns of constituents,” according to a flyer for the rally.
Hagerty’s and Fleischmann’s offices did not respond to requests for comment. Blackburn’s office declined to comment, but has posted information on the internet about her community outreach.
According to her posted highlights for 2024, the senator’s office answered 40,000 phone calls, fielded 118,000 mail requests and reached 206,000 Tennesseans in tele-town halls in all three of the state’s grand divisions.
Allison Gorman, an organizer of the event, has been trying to reach her representatives to express concern over the actions of the Trump administration. In the past few weeks, Gorman met with staffers from Hagerty and Fleischmann’s local offices and wasn’t able to reach Blackburn’s office.
A lot of people see Musk as a bad actor, Gorman said, citing what she believes to be conflicts of interest, national security risk and violation of the law when it comes to Musk’s access to Americans’ data.
“We need a public statement saying that if the executive branch refuses a judicial ruling, which they certainly seem to think that they don’t have to answer to judges,” Gorman said by phone, “we will want to know whether our senators and representatives will uphold the constitution, whether they will do their constitutional duty and push back as a check against overreach.”
Gorman said she and other community members feel like they are in a real crisis, so she could not imagine a better reason for there to be an in-person meeting or town hall with representatives to address concerns.
“I am not the sort of person who just spends all my time pestering my representatives because I understand they represent a lot of people,” Gorman said, “so I try to save it for the big stuff.”
Gorman has run two unsuccessful campaigns against state Rep. Greg Martin, R-Hixson, and her daughter, Meg, lost a congressional race against Fleischmann in 2022.
“It’s really hard, with such an insidious takeover of our government — which is what I think is happening,” Gorman said, “because people walk outside and everything looks the same, and they can still go to Target, and the sun is shining.”
If people aren’t looking hard, Gorman said, things won’t look bad until it’s too late to turn back.
“Obviously, we’re 27 days into the Trump administration,” Scott Golden, Tennessee GOP chair, said by phone, adding that it “has been probably the most fast-paced, productive 27 days in the history of presidential politics.”
Golden said members of Congress, senators and all legislators have been doing their jobs in the aftermath of the administration of former President Joe Biden.
“Compared to the Biden years and the slowness of the past four years of the administration,” Golden said, “I think everybody is working extremely hard to get things done that needed to be fixed over the last four years.”
Trump was elected to shake up Washington and the status quo, Golden said, referring to what he believes were deficiencies, waste, fraud and abuse under the control of Democrats.
“The only person that I know that their information leaked,” Golden said, “was Donald Trump when he was attacked by the Democrats in charge of the IRS.”
PROTESTERS
Soddy-Daisy resident Dominic Marzicola held a sign that read, “Musk is firing Americans and stealing your tax $.”
He said he attended the rally to fight for democracy.
“Trump is just committing crimes in the White House,” said Sherry Marzicola, his wife, in an interview, “and we’re sitting there … watching it happen, wanting to do something about it.”
The pair denounced Musk and the firing of federal employees and said American tax dollars are being stolen.
“They’re letting Trump do whatever he wants to do, and it’s not right, it’s not fair,” Sherry said. “Only half the country, half the voters voted for him, so we shouldn’t have to stand by and look at what’s happening.”
East Ridge resident Alex Dezee said he is mad at how hypocritical the government is.
“We’re looking at the wrong 1%,” Dezee’s sign said, “Trans, immigrant, leftists are not the enemy, billionaires are!”
If government accountability could be fixed, and the government would listen to people, Dezee said, it would help fix a lot.
“Just ’cause you’re poor,” Dezee said in an interview, “it doesn’t mean you’re a waste of space.”
Kristen Haynes came from Rossville, Georgia, to protest.
“Save democracy,” her sign said. “Impeach the felon.”
Haynes said she’s worked in Chattanooga and spends time here on weekends, referring to the city as her second home.
“I really hope that the elected officials — who can do more than stand on the corner and hold a sign while their hands freeze to death — will do something,” Haynes said in an interview, “because they see that their constituents want something done, that we’re tired of watching them stand around and act like there’s nothing they can do to help, when clearly they have more power than we do.”
Haynes said immigration and mass deportation are her top issues.
(READ MORE: Chattanooga senator opposes immigration policy, says others are afraid to do so)
“It’s a waste of resources,” Haynes said, “and unnecessarily cruel.”
She said she is also concerned about federal program cutbacks, particularly for a friend who works at Head Start, an early learning program for low-income children.
“It’s just absolutely mind-boggling,” Haynes said, “that all of that could be wiped away for nothing.”
Christopher Wood, of North Chattanooga, said he has a lot of friends who are being affected by the new administration. He said he volunteers for Bridge Refugee Services.
“All the funding was just cut for that,” Wood said in an interview, “so we know actual families that are getting affected today.”
Wood spoke of families with applications that were canceled due to funding cuts who will have to restart the five-year process to get into the country.
“No one is illegal on stolen land,” Wood’s sign said.
Wood said he feels useless most of the time and that he hopes demonstrating will get people talking.
Chattanoogans will be gathering, likely once a week in different locations around town, Gorman said, to push for an in-person town hall with senators and representatives.
“We will continue to have these rallies until it happens,” Gorman said, “I don’t know how long this is going to go on, but we’re not going to go away.”
Contact Sarah Dolgin at sdolgin@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6556.