A handful of Democratic state legislators plan to turn out Saturday for protests against President Donald Trump in Wyoming, in the most Trump-friendly state in the nation.
“No Kings” and “Day of Action” protests are scheduled for varying times in at least eight towns, the Wyoming Democratic Party announced in posts to X. They're expected to surface in towns and cities throughout the United States as well.
Rep. Ken Chestek, D-Laramie, told Cowboy State Daily he’s attending the protest in Cheyenne because he’s been asked to deliver a speech. He expects to deride “oligarchy,” or rule by billionaires, which he says fits the description of Trump’s and top advisor Elon Musk’s recent maneuvers.
Chestek said the protests have the power to make people rethink Trump’s policies, though they do so a little bit at a time.
“It may be imperceptible at first, but (the needle) moved (after protests earlier this month),” he said. “The more we keep this up, the more these concerns will hopefully resonate with the decisionmakers.”
Chestek elaborated, saying he hopes members of Congress notice the protests. He said the body has “abandoned its spine and is letting Trump get away with all this stuff,” namely, the imposition of tariffs and significant cuts to federal agencies.
In response to that, U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyoming, said Wyoming “overwhelmingly” chose Trump “to rein in D.C. bureaucrats and root out waste, fraud and abuse.”
“And that’s exactly what he’s doing,” she continued. “President Trump is restoring power to the American people and delivering the kind of disruption to bureaucracy the people of Wyoming asked for.”
Wyoming senior U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, also a Republican, said he's traveled around Wyoming this week and has "heard overwhelming support for President Trump and his actions. The people of Wyoming continue to tell me they want to shrink the size of government and rein in wasteful Washington spending.
“I am committed to ensuring that people in Wyoming impacted by the proposed cuts have their voices heard.”
The Power Of One
Rep. Trey Sherwood, D-Laramie, plans to attend Saturday’s rally in her hometown.
Her hope for the rally falls more in the realm of personal, than political autonomy.
“I’m hoping that people get plugged in in ways they can volunteer and build community,” she said, such as understanding the needs of the local soup kitchen or finding ways to connect with others and contribute.
“It seems like there’s so many changes and so many unknowns, and I can only control what’s in front of me,” said Sherwood. “A way to have a sense of structure, but also a way to move forward in a positive way, is in community building. We can get wrapped up in what federal policy is coming down the pike every day, or we can really focus on helping our neighbors.”
She’s sensing that kind of mental shift in her community, she added.
The Judiciary
Sen. Mike Gierau, D-Jackson, said he’s not sure if his travel schedule will allow him to go to his local protest, but he hopes he can because he’s fired up about Trump’s spats with federal judges.
Numerous Trump orders have been halted in federal courts since inauguration day.
The president in response has labelled some judges as “activist.” He’s been accused of defying judicial orders, and two judges are now weighing contempt proceedings against him.
For Gierau, that’s the last straw.
“I serve in a super minority position in the Wyoming Senate,” he said. He’s one of two Democratic Senators in the chamber. “I get my ass kicked every day in there, but you know, I shake hands and we agree to disagree and we move on. But not on this.”
The executive not honoring judicial decisions could unravel the nation altogether, he noted.
Gierau said he believes the protests are “already starting to move the needle” and that U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman may also see dropping poll numbers due to recent protests at her town hall meetings.
Take Note
Rep. Mike Yin, D-Jackson, won’t make it to the protests because he’s traveling, he said.
Still, it’s his hope that when people see their fellow community members protesting in the streets, they’ll re-think Trump’s policies not just in light of his noteworthy personality, but in light of the policies themselves.
“If this is something that the other (political) team did … would you be for it? If you look at the policy by itself — is it good for the community?” said Yin.
He said he also hopes the protests get people to reconsider Wyoming legislative policies, which will soon prompt government cuts due to property tax decreases.
The Wyoming towns for the rallies are:
• Casper (1 p.m. Healing Park),
• Rock Springs (1 p.m. Chamber of Commerce)
• Laramie (noon, Albany County Courthouse)
• Jackson (noon, town square)
• Cheyenne (noon, state Capitol)
• Lander (11 a.m., Centennial Park)
• Sheridan (1 p.m. East Grinnell Plaza)
• Pinedale (1 p.m., Sublette County Courthouse)
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
