Protesters gather across US cities for anti-Trump protests

Crowds of protesters have amassed in cities across the US to denounce President Trump, in the largest nationwide show of opposition since the president took office in January.

The "Hands Off" protest planners aimed to hold rallies in 1,200 locations, including in all 50 US states, says the BBC.

Thousands of people turned out in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington DC, among other cities, on Saturday.

Protesters cited grievances with Trump's agenda ranging from social to economic issues.

Coming days after Trump's announcement that the US would impose import tariffs on most countries around the world, gatherings were also held outside the US, including in London, Paris, and Berlin.

In Washington, DC, thousands of protesters gathered to watch speeches by Democratic lawmakers.

Many remarks focused on the role played in Trump's administration by wealthy donors - most notably Elon Musk, who has served as an advisor to the president and spearheaded an effort to dramatically cut spending and the federal workforce.

Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost denounced the "billionaire takeover of our government".

"When you steal from the people, expect the people to rise up. At the ballot box and in the streets," he shouted.

The protests come after a bruising week for the president and his allies.

Republicans won a closely watched special Florida congressional election on Tuesday, but with slimmer margins than they had hoped.

Wisconsin voters elected a Democratic judge to serve on the state supreme court, roundly rejecting a Musk-backed Republican candidate by almost 10 percentage points.

In both states, Democrats sought to tap into voter anger towards the Trump administration's policies and Elon Musk's influence.

Some polls show approval ratings for President Trump to be slipping slightly.

One Reuters/Ipsos poll released earlier this week found that his approval rating had dropped to 43%, its lowest point since Trump began his second term in January.

When he was inaugurated on 20 January, his approval rating was 47%.

The same poll found that 37% of Americans approve of his handling of the economy, while 30% approve of his strategy to address the cost of living in the US.

Another recent poll, from Harvard Caps/Harris, found that 49% of registered voters approve of Trump's performance in office, down from 52% last month.

The same poll, however, found that 54% of voters believe he is doing a better job than Joe Biden did as president.