Thousands of veterans are expected to protest President Donald Trump and his administration in Washington, D.C. and across the country on Friday.
Veterans joining the march intend to protest the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to Social Security, federal job losses for veterans, the pardon of January 6 rioters and reductions in veterans’ health care services.
The “NowDC” march at the National Mall, organized by Fourteenth Now, is also calling for Trump to be removed from the White House over claims that he is an “insurrectionist” due to his alleged actions in and around the January 6 riot at the Capitol in 2021.
Similar calls to protest the Trump administration’s cuts to veteran services at every state capitol across the country are being promoted online.
Newsweek has contacted Fourteenth Now and the Metropolitan Police Department for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Friday’s protests highlight the ongoing dissent Trump is facing as he carries out major federal spending cuts, which have resulted in thousands of job losses and the dismantling of federal agencies.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
What to Know
Friday’s march in Washington, D.C, will also protest the “purging” of veteran employees as part of the Trump administration’s cost-cutting measures led by Elon Musk‘s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The NowDC protest march will convene at noon on the National Mall between Fourth and Sixth streets NW on Friday, March 13.
The group says the date is significant as it represents Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which states that a person who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” after taking an oath of office to support the Constitution should be barred from holding office again. Trump has long faced criticism over claims that he incited the Capitol riot in 2021, which he has denied.
The march will also show support for veterans, who are among the thousands of federal employees laid off under the Trump administration.
Around 2,500 employees have been fired from the Department of Veterans Affairs since Trump returned to the White House. The department is expected to lay off more than 80,000 employees this year under Trump’s cost-cutting mandate, according to a leaked memo obtained by Military.com.
The group also welcomes others to join the protest movement, including those who support Ukraine in the war against Russia, federal workers whose jobs are under threat, and those who fear their Social Security benefits will soon be cut.
Among the speakers on Friday will be Fourteenth Now founding member Jessica Denson, a former Trump aide who had sued his 2016 campaign over nondisclosure agreements that she argued had been “weaponized” to silence her over allegations she made against a supervisor of sexual and verbal harassment.
Former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, who was on duty during the January 6 Capitol riot, and comedian Cliff Cash are also listed as speakers at the protest.
Organizers expect around 3,000 people to attend the protest, according to a petition filed with the National Park Service seen by The Washington Examiner.
Another nationwide Veterans March has also been promoted for Friday, though it does not appear to be organized by a specific group or movement.
Flyers and online posts promoting the nationwide call to action say the protests will oppose Project 2025, saying it will “decimate” programs veterans rely on.
Trump has repeatedly denied any connection to Project 2025, a 922-page document from the Heritage Foundation that outlines how a potential Republican administration could overhaul the federal government. Multiple members of Trump’s Cabinet were involved in drafting the conservative manifesto.
What People Are Saying
Fourteenth Now founder Jessica Denson said in a statement: “The democracy generations have sacrificed for is disappearing with every passing second. In honor of our brave veterans, our message is unequivocal: We demand the immediate removal of this administration by any and all constitutional means.”
Michael Embrich, a Navy veteran and former policy adviser to the U.S. secretary of veterans affairs, said: “Two billionaires, Trump and Musk, are gutting the VA and purging veteran employees—bankrupting war heroes while cashing in on their sacrifice.”
David Zuckerman, former lieutenant governor of Vermont, wrote in a March 10 Facebook post: “Friday, March 14, 2025, at 12 p.m., veterans and supporters will march in Washington, D.C., and all 50 state capitals to protest Project 2025 and its harmful cuts to veteran services…In many states, including Vermont, there is no centralized organizer. And there are no specific speakers expected to coordinate the event—just show up and stand with our veterans. Each state may just be a small gathering to begin with. But as many of these types of events are happening, it starts to build. This may be a long four years. And if we can start to organize now, we will grow this over time.”
Alina Habba, counselor to Trump, told reporters on March 4: “Well, as you know we care about veterans tremendously. That’s something the president has always cared about, anybody in blue, anybody that serves this country. But at the same time, we have taxpayer dollars, we have a fiscal responsibility to use taxpayer dollars to pay people that actually work. That doesn’t mean that we forget our veterans by any means. We are going to care for them in the right way, but perhaps they’re not fit to have a job at this moment, or not willing to come to work.”
What Happens Next
The NowDC protest will be livestreamed on Denson’s YouTube channel on Friday. It is unclear how many people will take part in the marches at state capitols across the country.
