Scores of demonstrators took to the streets of New York and Chicago on Saturday, April 5, joining other protestors around the country in what organizers expect to be the largest single day of protest against President Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk since the administration launched its rapid-fire effort to put a conservative stamp on government.

The "Hands Off!" protests gave Trump opponents an opportunity to demonstrate their displeasure en masse in response to Trump's sweeping makeover of U.S. foreign and domestic policy through executive orders.

Events are planned in all 50 states plus Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Mexico and Portugal. One of the biggest rallies is expected on Washington's National Mall.

Trump returned to office on January 20 with a stream of executive orders and other measures critics say are aligned with an agenda outlined by Project 2025, a deeply conservative political initiative to reshape government and consolidate presidential authority. His supporters have applauded Trump's audacity as necessary to disrupt entrenched liberal interests.

With Trump's blessing, Musk's Department of Government Efficiency team has scythed through the U.S. government, eliminating more than 200,000 jobs from the 2.3 million federal workforce. At times, the effort has been haphazard and forced the recall of needed specialists.

On Friday, the Internal Revenue Service began laying off more than 20,000 workers, as much as 25% of its ranks.

Much of Trump's agenda has been restrained by lawsuits contending he has overstepped his authority with attempts to fire civil servants, deport immigrants and reverse transgender rights.

At the start of Trump's first term in 2017, hundreds of thousands of people joined the Women's March on Washington to demonstrate opposition.

Production: Dan Fastenberg, Deborah Lutterbeck. Video: Justin Nathanson)