Small group protests Trump, Musk outside North Dakota Capitol during national movement

About two dozen protesters braved single-digit temperatures Wednesday outside North Dakota’s Capitol to make their voices heard concerning the direction of the federal government under President Donald Trump.

The group along Bismarck’s Boulevard Avenue joined contingents from across the country during a Day of Protest to voice opposition to Elon Musk’s involvement in federal spending and staffing, Project 2025 and the encroachment of religion into policy making.

“I’m not exactly a progressive, but I don’t support what’s going on with the current government,” said Alex Charuat of Bismarck.

He said he’s voted for Democrats and Republicans in the past, but he has a problem with billionaires being directly involved with the federal government.

“He’s a contractor for NASA and now he has NASA’s ear, I think there’s a lot of money going into his hands,” Charuat said of Musk.

Charuat said he heard about the protest at the Capitol on Reddit.

Taylor Abler of Bismarck made a sign rejecting what he sees as an oligarchy of billionaires taking over large swaths of the American economy and government.

“I dislike that a lot and I think the Congress and the Senate need to do a better job of standing up to the executive orders being passed,” Abler said. “It starts with us. People need to let their voices be heard.”

Trump received support from 67% of North Dakota voters in 2024 and 65% in 2020.

A group of three protesters represented three different generations within the same family.

Tiffany Bartole of Austin, Texas, was visiting family in Bismarck with her son, Lance, 12. Because they couldn’t be at the Capitol building in Austin to protest, they decided to protest together in Bismarck.

“Elon Musk, Trump, I’m here to stand up for people that don’t have the same privilege that I was born with by having white skin,” Bartole said. 

She added she believes the immigration enforcement actions being undertaken by the Trump administration are racist in nature.

“It’s profiling and I think it’s just causing a whole uproar … it’s causing hate in our country,” she said. “It’s going to be citizens attacking citizens because of their skin color.”

Bartole thought they were going to be the only three people at the Capitol, but were pleased to find other protesters when they arrived. 

“I think it means more when you are standing out in this cold,” Bartole said.