Comedian Rosie O’Donnell and President Trump have a history of antagonism. That intensified on Monday. The comedian led a group of Broadway performers in a musical protest of the Trump administration in front of the White House.
“Let the president know in no uncertain terms that we are alive, awake and we are woke,” O’Donnell said to the crowd. The gathering was part of an ongoing anti-Trump protest now on its 22nd consecutive night.
The crowd warmed up their voices with “America the Beautiful,” and then performers sang several show-tune favorites, such as “Do You Hear the People Sing?” from “Les Miserables,” “Let The Sun Shine In” from “Hair” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” from “The Sound of Music.”
The singing was led by Seth Rudetsky, a host on the SiriusXM channel “On Broadway” who helped O’Donnell organize the event.
“We hope to give you a nice little show and remind you that your voice is important,” O’Donnell said. “Whether it’s here in Washington, D.C., or in the town where you live, let your voice be heard.”
Others gathered in Lafayette Square as part of the “Kremlin Annex” protest. They were into their third week at the event. Protesters gathered Monday with an array of anti-Trump signs, many focused on alleged conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.
Two of the most popular chants of the night were “Lock him up!” and “Putin’s puppet!”
Kristin Mink, the woman who challenged Scott Pruitt to step down from Trump’s cabinet, said: “Every person who cares about switching over this administration, about having a Congress that’s going to hold them accountable, every person needs to be getting more than themselves to the polls.” She had the word “vote” shaved into the side of her head.
Jim Obergefell, the named plaintiff in the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court ruling making gay marriage legal across the United States, warned against Trump’s latest nominee to the Supreme Court.
“Brett Kavanaugh should not sit on our highest court. He is a danger to every marginalized community,” Obergefell said. “Our president – well, not my president, someone else’s president — is a threat to every marginalized community.”