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Trump responds to protesters: Why didn’t you vote?

US President Donald Trump speaks during the Armed Services Ball in Washington, DC, January 20, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

US President Donald Trump has questioned the millions of people around the United States who  marched in protest of his presidency on Saturday, implying that the Women’s March protesters did not vote.

Trump, who was sworn-in as US president on Friday, took to Twitter on Sunday to say he supports peaceful protests but criticized the celebrities who joined the demonstrations.

“Watched protests yesterday but was under the impression that we just had an election! Why didn't these people vote? Celebs hurt cause badly,” Trump tweeted.

“Peaceful protests are a hallmark of our democracy. Even if I don't always agree, I recognize the rights of people to express their views,” his tweet read.

People across the US and around the world held rallies to show solidarity with the massive Women’s March on Washington on Saturday, which reportedly drew over 2 million people  in US cities.

Demonstrators protest on the National Mall in Washington, DC, for the Women's March on January 21, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Over 630 different events were held in different cities from European capitals to Asian and African cities, where people urged the Trump administration to uphold women’s rights and avoid discrimination against immigrants and racial minorities.

In Washington, half a million people descended on the National Mall and nearby streets Saturday for the historic march, eclipsing the turnout for Trump’s inauguration the day before, according to city officials.

Demonstrations against Trump's presidency were held in Canada, Australia, the UK, Germany, Japan, France, India, Kenya and Ghana, among others.

Trump’s divisive rhetoric during his presidential campaign angered many people at home and abroad. The real estate tycoon repeatedly made disparaging remarks about women, Muslims and immigrants.

Trump attacks media over inauguration turnout

Trump used his first full day in office on Saturday to unleash a remarkably bitter attack on the news media, falsely accusing journalists of deliberately understating the size of his inauguration crowd.

Official data shows that his inauguration drew less TV viewers than that of his predecessor Barack Obama in 2009.

Photographs of Obama’s inauguration in 2009 and of Trump’s clearly show that the crowd on Friday was significantly smaller.

Nearly 31 million viewers watched Trump’s swearing-in live, according to ratings firm Nielsen. The figure was nearly 7 million less than the 38 million that watched Obama’s first inauguration.

Trump also failed to match former Republican President Ronald Reagan’s 1981 inauguration crowd, where 42 million people tuned in to watch his swearing-in ceremony.


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