WARSAW — Protesters in Warsaw, upset with policies led by President Trump, followed suit with other communities across the country on Saturday and rallied for the second time in two weeks.

[caption id="attachment_108602" align="alignright" width="320"] A sign seen at Saturday's rally. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

The newest protest appeared to be as big — if not bigger — than the one held April 5 at the Kosciusko County Courthouse and included many fresh faces, some of whom laughed at the notion put forth by Trump supporters that they are being paid or bused in from other communities.

There was chanting, shouts of encouragement, music, drumming and even a cowbell.

Signs on Saturday echoed a long list of concerns involving budget cuts, a lack of due process in Trump's attempt to deport undocumented residents, and the role of Elon Musk, who has led an effort to shrink the federal government without Congressional involvement.

[caption id="attachment_108615" align="alignright" width="320"] A sign seen at Saturday's rally. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

Paul Butler, 38, lives in Roann and said the event was his first foray into protesting. He said he's worried about many issues, but especially dislikes how the Trump administration is handling the deportation of undocumented residents.

“If someone’s an illegal immigrant, they still deserve their time in court to prove whether they're illegal or not instead of being sent somewhere where their family doesn’t even know where they are,” Butler said.

[caption id="attachment_108619" align="alignright" width="271"] A sign seen at Saturday's rally. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

The man who helped organize Saturday’s rally said the peaceful demonstrations will likely continue until concerns subside.

Mentone resident Thomas Skeens promoted Saturday’s event on a website, and was asked if the protests would continue.

"That's what we have planned is to continue them until we know for sure Trump and Elon are going to keep their hands off or stop the cuts," Skeens said.

One woman responded to the idea that protesters are being paid to attend.

"Ridiculous. If people were getting paid, wouldn't more people show up?" said Juneal Black, who lives in Lansing, Mich., and said she and her husband, Ken, were visiting family.

Ken Black added, "I think it's just concerned citizens ... everybody's worried about what's being taken away. that they're voicing their opinion."

Saturday’s atmosphere had an added element with an unrelated protest nearby. That involved PETA — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

The national group announced earlier in the week that it would demonstrate what they view as the mistreatment of chickens on the way to slaughter by parking a truck outside of Mad Anthony’s Brewing company, a block from the Trump protest.

The truck urged people to embrace a vegan diet and was accompanied by a stand that offered literature.

That demonstration attracted virtually no supporters, and the truck drove away after about an hour.

But it did catch the attention of two men, one of whom carried a big Popeye’s restaurant carryout bag and was offering discount cards for Mad Anthony's to people outside.

Eddie Van Hartman, of Warsaw, explained his position.

"They're protesting chicken. I love chicken. So I'm promoting chicken," Van Hartman said.

“I fully support PETA – People Eating Tasty Animals – absolutely. Steak is my favorite animal,” he added. "Chicken is my second."

At one point, Van Hartman, who described himself as a conservative, strolled into the Trump protest, apparently to gain the attention of protesters. That lasted about five minutes and led to a brief, indiscernible chant from some of the protesters.

Afterward, the manager at Mad Anthony's, Jim Thompson, appeared unfazed by the truck's presence and said he believed it might have generated added sales.

"I think we were busier, actually," Thompson said.

The Trump protest worked to elicit honks from passing motorists.

A pickup truck with two large Trump signs provided a few honks as it drove past the Trump rally several times, but the overall environment remained civil.

Below are a few photos from both protests.

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WARSAW — Kosciusko County, considered one of the reddest red counties in the consistently conservative Indiana, joined 1,200 locations nationwide where "Hands-off" protestors tried to send a message Saturday to the Trump White House.

Some wondered how many would show up for a protest in chilly and damp conditions at the courthouse lawn, but many were pleased after some 75 people carried signs and chanted slogans at the corner of Center and Buffalo streets.

"I'm really happy so far," said Shelly Gilliland who has lived in the county for 40 years and arrived as the rally began at noon.

[caption id="attachment_107887" align="alignright" width="360"] A sign seen at Saturday's rally in Warsaw. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

The wrath of protesters focused on a litany of weighty complaints that far surpassed the price of eggs.

Gilliland said there are many issues of concern, but her sign focused on public education and the potential cuts to Medicare and Social Security.

"I know too many people who will have zero income if something happens to Medicare, or for many people, Medicaid, and we just can't let that happen," she said.

She said she doesn't understand how residents living in a city known for its churches can stand by and not speak up.

"It's historically bad, it's historically frightening, it's historically unexplainable, she said.

Handmade signs addressed numerous issues that have coalesced in the past 90 days as President Trump has issued wide-ranging executive orders and implemented massive tariffs on many of the United States' strongest allies — as well as China and minuscule countries most Americans have never heard of.

Implementation of the tariffs last week triggered a huge decline in domestic stock markets which directly affect workers' pensions.

Anger was also directed at Elon Musk, Trump’s advisor who has single-handedly slashed federal jobs, while at times gleefully holding a chainsaw to celebrate the effort.

John, an engineer who declined to give his last name, said that approach by Musk makes no sense.

He's from Pittsburgh, Pa., and is visiting family and was pleasantly surprised to learn of the Warsaw rally.

He said he worries that the cuts are being made without considering the impact on federal services and programs.

"It really just an action that seems to be done for quickness without thinking it through, without having a plan," he said. "The plan seems to be like 'ready, fire aim,' and it doesn't make any sense, especially to engineers like me."

One woman at the protest carried an outstretched yellow Gadsden Flag with the historic phrase, "Don't Tread On Me," which has been fully embraced by conservatives in recent years.

The meaning, the woman said, is equally applicable to today's concerns.

Another concern that as clear at the rally is Trump's authoritarian approach.

One woman said she worries that Trump is aligning himself with dictators and "other crazies" while his own Republican party remains mum.

"They have fallen in line and have no backbone," she said.

There were also flags at the rally representing the LGBTQI communities.

A woman who held a white, pink and light blue trans flag, covered her face with an American flag mask and wore black sunglasses to hide her identity.

She said she is somewhat concerned about her safety.

"I just feel like trans people can not come out safely right now, so I'm just here so they can be because I'm a white woman and I feel like I should do something," she said.

[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="107913,107889,107901,107908,107891,107892,107894,107905,107906,107911"]

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Hundreds of irate property owners gathered at the Indiana Statehouse on St. Patrick’s Day to pressure lawmakers into adopting Gov. Mike Braun’s plan for tax cuts, led by popular conservative radio personalities Rob Kendall, Casey Daniels and Jason Hammer.

Speakers had to yell to be heard over the crowd, who called out legislators by name — including Senate Majority Leader Rodric Bray and Rep. Jeff Thompson — and threatened noncompliant politicians with a primary challenger in their next election.

“At the end of this hour, I don’t know what we can do (or) what we can change, but we can call out the weasels that do not have your interests in their interest,” challenged Hammer, who led several call-and-response chants. “If you’re a law-abiding taxpayer and you’re pissed off, on the count of three, make as much noise as you can!”

Hammer co-hosts the Hammer and Nigel Show on radio station WIBC while Kendall and Daniels headline Kendall and Casey, also on WIBC. All three pushed the property tax rally ahead of the Monday event.

Speakers adopted language from national Republican leaders like President Donald Trump and his key adviser Elon Musk, calling for the slashing of government through a DOGE-like entity.

Radio duo Kendall and Daniels explicitly called on lawmakers to adopt Braun’s tax plan, which has been criticized for the deep cuts schools would see alongside smaller — but significant — decreases for counties, cities and townships. Some officials testified earlier this month that they would have to abort plans to expand their fire departments or reduce law enforcement services due to anticipated cuts.

“I’m asking this state government to get back on track and run itself efficiently. It’s not like we’re asking locals and school districts to do anything more,” Braun told the crowd. “Government should be the most powerful at the local level, but they cannot be growing their enterprises faster than the economy grows.”

Braun has criticized schools for their spending, as seen in his property tax plan that would save homeowners a collective $1.3 billion but cost schools $536 million.

A former Dubois County school board member, Braun recalled an instance where the district considered replacing a $16,000 bench because of some peeling paint. Instead, another board member bought paint and hired a correction crew to paint it for $800.

“We’ll land this plane in a good place that gives real relief and keeps our governments healthy,” said Braun. “But if it isn’t for this (rally), they’re going to keep trying to push for nothing. And nothing isn’t good enough.”

More from the property tax rally

Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, who frequently tweeted about the rally ahead of Monday, said that he made the unusual decision to publicly campaign for his seat because “we are being taxed way too much.”

“I’ve heard countless stories from people today and throughout the last two years where their property taxes have increased over 50%, 60% and even 100% in one case,” Beckwith said at the property tax rally. “That is egregious and we need to stop it and we’re going to stop it.”

A trio of Republican house lawmakers called for the complete elimination of the state’s property tax system, echoing sentiments on signs distributed at the rally that read “Property tax is theft.”

“This is a radical idea for some, but what’s so radical about … getting rid of something unconstitutional?” Rep. Craig Haggard, R-Mooresville, said. “You were never meant by the forefathers to pay rent to the federal government, to the state government or to anybody else.”

Rep. Andrew Ireland, who represents a sliver of Marion County, specifically called out spending in Indianapolis on public transit, drag queen story hours at the library and public health investments, likened some of the pushback to changing the diaper of his newborn.

“… when these local leaders come to this building and they tell us, ‘There is nothing to cut. The sky is going to fall if you cut anything.’ It sure smells a lot like that green dirty diaper,” Ireland said.

One elected official from Marshall County said that the system was “so broken that I can’t cut your taxes locally.”

“The system should encourage responsible spending. It should fund the services that people care about but, today, it fails on both counts,” continued Jesse Bohannon, a county commissioner. “ “It punishes budget cutting and encourages aggressive spending. It encourages local governments to hoard money.”

He called for the “billions of dollars locked up” to be refunded to everyday taxpayers, saying government growth has outpaced inflation.

Background on property taxes

Three separate property tax plans have been introduced thus far at the Statehouse from Braun, Senate Republicans and Rep. Jeff Thompson, the House’s key budget architect and chair of the Ways and Means Committee.

Each takes a different approach to property taxes, balancing relief for homeowners with the budget needs of local units of government.

While Braun’s proposal offered the most tax relief, it also sharply reduced school budgets. Thompson’s pitch, on the other hand, had limited savings for homeowners and the smallest cuts for government services.

Braun floated the possibility that he would veto the Senate plan last month. Property tax rally attendees also urged Braun to call for a special session if lawmakers failed to deliver relief.

What will stay in the final version of the property tax bill remains to be seen, but both Republican legislative leaders appear to have gotten their marching orders from Braun on the end goal.

“I think Gov. Braun wants to get to a place where we can say that your property taxes will be lower next year in 2026 than they are in 2025,” Bray told reporters Thursday. “I think that’s a victory for Governor Braun, it’s a victory for us, it’s a victory for homeowners across the state of Indiana. That would be the first and foremost goal.”

House Speaker Todd Huston echoed that aim.

“The goal’s to try and have the ’26 property tax bill be less than the ’25 property tax bill. We’ll see if we can get there,” he told reporters.

When asked, Huston also said he was concerned about rent — noting that some of the increase is in property taxes.

Democrats were more critical.

“We need to provide some relief to Hoosiers … and then we make sure that we listen to our local governments who are saying, ‘Please, we rely on our property taxes to be able to pay for our police, fire, our schools,’” Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder said on Thursday. “And balancing those two are difficult, but we need to make sure that in the end, we get it right.”

Indiana Capital Chronicle Reporter Leslie Bonilla Muñiz contributed to this story.

* * *

The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to giving Hoosiers a comprehensive look inside state government, policy and elections. The site combines daily coverage with in-depth scrutiny, political awareness and insightful commentary.

You can read the original version of the story here.

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WARSAW — Monday’s meeting in which about 25 people showed up in Waraw to voice concerns about federal spending cuts to a congressional staffer led to a statement being issued by Congressman Rudy Yakym’s office.

The meeting at Warsaw City Hall was intended to offer constituency services to residents, but those who showed up wanted to talk policy and demanded Yakym hold a town hall so residents could convey their concerns. 

[caption id="attachment_105711" align="alignright" width="370"] About 25-30 people attended the meeting at Warsaw City Hall Monday afternoon. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

The situation became heated for a short while with both sides saying they felt disrespected.

Brain Smith, a former chair of the Kosciusko County Democratic Party, said he didn't like how Yakym's district director talked to the group.

"I thought it was incredibly disrespectful to the veterans in the room, the way they were talked to — the way I was talked to at the beginning by the district representative — just a very unprofessional way and unbecoming for somebody who works for me," Smith said.

Yakym’s office issued a statement reiterating his "dedication to transparency" in serving all constituents.

“Congressman Yakym and our team are committed to accessibility and transparency, hosting monthly mobile office hours across the district so every constituent can connect and be heard,” said District Director Griffin Nate.

The statement was issued without directly mentioning Monday's meeting.

“We’re here to serve and represent all Hoosiers in the Second District — but we won’t stand for leftist lies meant to disrupt, disrespect, and intimidate,” he added.

Much of the concern voiced at Monday's meeting focused on Elon Musk who is serving as a key figure in the new Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE.

News Now Warsaw asked Nate Monday if Yakym is bothered by the approach used by Musk.

"The Congressman supports President Trump and his initiatives to bring efficiency to our government," Nate said.

"The American people made it clear in November that we are sick and tired of waste, fraud and abuse within our federal government. That's why they gave President Trump and the House Republicans a mandate to eliminate that waste, fraud and abuse."

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WARSAW —  About 25 people, including some well-known local Democrats, turned a meeting planned for constituency services on Monday in Warsaw into a forum to vent anger over President Trump’s slashing of government services.

They also made it clear they want to have a town hall meeting with Rep. Rudy Yakym whose office hosted the meeting originally overseen by a sole staffer.

[caption id="attachment_105714" align="alignright" width="420"] Griffin Nate, district director for Congressman Rudy Yakym, reiterated at least twice that the audience at Monday's gathering needed to be respectful. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

The meeting at Warsaw City Hall turned momentarily raucous as residents complained about the slew of changes ushered in by Trump and specifically Elon Musk.

The meeting was intended to be for constituents who need one-on-one consultations, but apparently, everyone who showed up wanted to discuss policy changes set forth by Trump during his first 30 days in office.

A congressional staffer, Savannah Smallwood, said minutes after arriving at the noon-time meeting that she felt overwhelmed by the crowd and their desire to talk policy rather than discuss individual issues like receiving veterans services.

Often, those kinds of meetings attract very few people, sometimes none, she said.

[caption id="attachment_105716" align="alignright" width="350"] Former Kosciusko County Democratic Chair Brian Smith (Right) said he's worried about the elimination of USAID and a program that combats AIDS in Africa that was established by President George W. Bush. At left is Savvanah Smallwood, a staffer for the office of Congressman Rudy Yakym. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

Tensions escalated after Smallwood put district director Griffin Nate on speakerphone.

Nate demanded those attending be respectful of his staffer.

"This is how this is gonna work," Nate said. "These are not town halls. These are office hours, and so you all are to be respectful of members of my team. What's going to happen is you can speak to her one by one, but we are not offering a group format," Nate said.

Don Zolman, a farmer and businessman, complained about the lack of town halls.

"I have a question for you, sir, when are we going to have a town hall since you are the boss," Zolman said.

"We are not doing a town hall," Nate said.

"Why not?" Zolman asked as others started yelling.

"Because we're not," Nate replied.

Nate pointed out that Yakym regularly travels through the district and meets with groups and businesses and that one of those tours ended last week.

While those are publicized to the media for the sake of coverage, the schedules are not released to the public.

Yakym has never held a public town hall meeting, which follows suit with his predecessor, the late Rep. Jackie Walorski, who only held one in about ten years.

About 50 minutes later, Nate showed up at the meeting and reiterated his demand that people act respectfully.

[caption id="attachment_105717" align="alignright" width="350"] Julie Kuhn expressed concerns over decreased reproductive rights and the thought of seeing Social Security payments cut. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

Both sides accused each other of being disrespectful, but tensions soon settled and everyone who wanted to speak was given a chance.

Among those speaking was Vicki Morton, Kosciusko County Democratic Party Chair who is also a board member for Cardinal Services. She expressed concern over the future of Medicaid funding and the potential cuts to Head Start which is funded through the US Department of Education.

Trump has said he wants to eliminate the Department of Education, which provides money for Head Start.

[caption id="attachment_105715" align="alignright" width="350"] Donald Guthrie said he doesn't mind some reductions but questioned if Congressman Rudy Yakym is providing any oversight over changes being instituted by Elon Musk. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

Former Democratic Party Chair Brian Smith said the plan to dismantle USAID would have far-reaching circumstances.

One of those programs provides essential services for AIDS patients in Africa and was established by President George W. Bush.

Julie Kuhn joined others upset with the role of Elon Musk who appears to be overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency known as DOGE.

She also wondered what would happen if Social Security was cut.

"What if half of my income goes away because of the random eight percent budget cuts? What will I do? What will anyone do?" she said.

Donald Guthrie expressed concern with the lack of apparent oversight.

"For me personally, I don’t have a problem with them scaling back on the government,” Guthrie said. “I want to know what kind of oversight is Congressman Yakym is doing to make sure these choices of letting people go are thoughtful … that they’re not just one guy with some twenty-somethings going through (the process).

A military veteran said he worries that cuts to the Veterans Administration will hurt significantly services.

A woman also brought up national security.

"I am also very upset and concerned that the executive branch seems to be siding with what used to be our enemies and turning away what was our allies," she said. "The executive branch is pretty much stating out loud that we are friends with Russia and throwing Ukraine under the bus. This is a shift in the international order that has kept us safe as a nation for 75-80 years."

Nobody stepped forward to discuss personal constituency issues with the staff.

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CORYDON — A man from southern Indiana is in jail and accused of threatening Elon Musk's life on X.

David Cherry is from Palmyra, which is in Harrison County not too far from Corydon.

Indiana State Police say they were contacted by authorities in Texas about threats made on the social media platform by Cherry.

He was tracked down in Clarksville and arrested — after which troopers searched his home and found an AR-15-style rifle, a handgun, ammo, and a ballistic vest.

Cherry is charged with intimidation and is being held in the Harrison County Jail without bond.

Musk has been widely viewed as the man leading President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team which is quickly sweeping through federal agencies and making budget cuts.

The White House earlier this week said Musk's role is more accurately defined as a senior adviser to Trump.

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