Thousands of protesters gathered in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, April 5, to protest against President Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk who have launched a rapid-fire effort to overhaul government and expand presidential authority.

Demonstrators accused the Republican leader of a 'power grab" and leading a disinformation campaign.

Trump and Musk have taken a "chainsaw to science and facts," said Chitra Kumar of the Union for Concerned Scientists.

"When that happens, people get hurt. We've already seen that, whether it's measles outbreaks that should not be happening in this country or climate change," Kumard said.

People streamed onto the expanse of grass surrounding the Washington Monument under gloomy skies and light rain. Organizers told Reuters that more than 20,000 people were expected to attend a rally at the National Mall.

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.

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.

(Production: Nathan Frandino, Brad Ulery and Deborah Gembara)