Washington, D.C., witnessed multiple protests on Tuesday against the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a federal agency overseen by White House advisor Elon Musk.
The demonstrations come as reports emerge that 21 DOGE employees have resigned in opposition to the department’s controversial policies. Former federal workers, scientists, and labor unions joined forces to express their concerns over job cuts, data security, and the future of critical public services.
Mass Resignations at DOGE: Employees Speak Out
According to the Associated Press, 21 DOGE employees resigned via a formal letter, stating their refusal to participate in policies that could “compromise core government systems, jeopardize Americans’ sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services.”
Musk, however, dismissed these claims on X (formerly Twitter), calling the resignations “fake news” and asserting that those who quit were political holdovers unwilling to return to in-person work. He claimed they “would have been fired had they not resigned.”
Federal Workers Protest Job Cuts on Capitol Hill
Earlier in the day, former federal employees who lost their jobs under DOGE gathered outside the Hart Senate Office Building. They voiced concerns over job terminations, many of which, they say, happened without proper notification.
Protester Samuel Port emphasized the need to highlight the human impact of these layoffs. “I hope that by being here today, it gives senators an idea of who is actually impacted,” he said.
Arabella Crawford, another former employee, shared her frustration over the lack of transparency surrounding her termination. “I was laid off without the knowledge of my manager,” she explained. “We are still not sure who laid us off because, as far as we know, there is no administrator at DOGE.”
Healthcare and Research Community Joins the Fight
A separate protest took place outside the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), marking the second anti-DOGE rally in less than a week. The demonstration, led by unions representing healthcare workers, scientists, and researchers, focused on the potential damage the agency’s cuts could have on medical research and public health.
Chanting, “We are mad scientists,” protesters condemned the termination of vital research programs. Todd Wolfson, President of the American Association of University Professors, warned that the consequences of these cuts could be life-threatening.
“It’s about whether people live or die,” Wolfson stated. “These cuts mean cancer patients are left without hope, Alzheimer’s continues stealing loved ones, diabetes goes untreated, and heart disease takes lives that could have been saved.”
Emilya Ventriglia, a researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), emphasized that the issue extends beyond job losses. “We are under so many freezes right now that stop the American taxpayer from receiving the medical advancements they paid for. This is theft,” she said.
Musk’s Employee Ultimatum and White House Response
President Trump has publicly supported Musk’s efforts to overhaul the federal workforce. On Monday, he praised Musk for a controversial email sent by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), requiring federal employees to list five accomplishments from the past week. Musk warned that failure to respond would be considered a resignation.
However, OPM later backtracked, clarifying that the responses were optional and that employees would not be automatically terminated for failing to reply. Musk, unfazed by the change, doubled down on X:
“Subject to the discretion of the President, they will be given another chance. Failure to respond a second time will result in termination.”
The legality of this ultimatum is now being challenged in court. Several unions representing federal workers have filed a lawsuit, and a California federal court is set to review the issue in a Thursday hearing.
