Protest, Counterprotest Erupt As Donald, Ivanka Trump Visit Austin Apple Plant

An anti-Trump protest, as well as a counterprotest, erupted in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday afternoon as President Donald Trump and his daughter and senior White House adviser Ivanka Trump arrived to tour Apple's Mac Pro manufacturing plant.

Prior to flying to Austin, the president commended Apple for opening a new "fantastic facility" in Austin subject to no tariffs, while his daughter tweeted that Apple was "one of the early signers" of the administration's 'Pledge to America's Workers' initiative.

But groups including Indivisible Austin, which states its mission is "to celebrate, protect, and expand democracy and human rights to drive justice, equity, and inclusion," organized a protest outside Apple's Flextronics plant in anticipation of the Trumps' mid-afternoon visit.

"Our main focus is impeachment. Ambassador [Gordon] Sondland testified just this morning that there was a quid pro quo," an Indivisible Austin press release stated. "Trump is trying to distract us with a shiny APPLE when he should be imPEACHed."

Protesters held signs and chanted, "Lock him up!" and held signs including "worst president ever," and "impeach."

But Trump supporters also came out and countered with a rally of their own nearby.

A leader of an anti-impeachment group pushing #TrumpVictory led a chant including, "four more years," and "U.S.A." and participants held signs with "women for Trump" and the Trump campaign reelection slogan "Keep America Great."

Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell joined the pro-Trump camp. He said through a megaphone, "I want to say to my fellow Republicans that are here, you're standing in the midst of the hottest economy in the world, led by our president, Donald J. Trump."

Austin police told the Austin American-Statesman that about 200 Trump supporters and about 150 protesters against Trump.

The president's motorcade reportedly did not pass by the protests. After receiving word that the president was already inside the plant, many protesters expressed disappointment that he did not drive by them, according to the Statesman.

After touring the plant, Trump commended Apple and asked the technology company's CEO Tim Cook to comment on the American economy.

"I think we have the strongest economy in the world," Cook said. The president repeated Cook's words.

The president then addressed questions about U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland's testimony in his impeachment hearings. The president called it "fantastic" and a reason to end his impeachment hearings and read his notes recounting a conversation with Sondland in which he told the ambassador, "I want nothing, I want no quid pro quo."