Elected officials, federal workers and demonstrators gathered outside of the Frances Perkins Department of Labor Building on Wednesday to protest Elon Musk’s new role within the federal government.
“Hey, hey, ho, ho, Elon Musk has got to go,” a crowd of hundreds chanted outside the headquarters.
President Trump has designated Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a novel agency intended to slash federal spending by trillions. In recent days, Musk who owns prominent businesses including the social platform X, SpaceX, a rocket and outer space ship manufacturer in addition to Starlink, an internet services company, was granted access to citizens’ sensitive information through the Treasury Department without warning.
Democrats came together outside of the Treasury Department on Tuesday and the Department of Labor on Wednesday to raise awareness about the issue and object to Musk’s involvement in government affairs.
“They have committed illegal actions causing a data breach of sensitive information that literally threatens people’s personal information, social security information, health records. And because of that, we are taking them to court. We’re going to hold them accountable and we’re going to protect and defend my constituents in Nevada and people all across this country,” Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), a former Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) chair said during the protests.
Corresponding demonstrations took place at the Ohio Statehouse and Texas Capitol on Wednesday in opposition to Musk.
“This is the working people’s department. It doesn’t belong to Donald Trump and or Elon Musk. It belongs to the working people and we’re going to fight to defend it,” Horsford declared.
Current CBC Chair Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-N.Y.) attended protests the day prior as did Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.).
“Oh, you want to use our money to go to Mars?” Waters said mockingly. “No, we want to use our money right here in Washington, D.C., in this country.’
In addition to Musk’s role as a special government employee, his businesses have gained contracts with federal agencies for billions of dollars raising concerns for Congress members who say the private sector and political power should remain separate.
Laborers and workers unions have echoed those claims, alleging Musk has engaged in a monopoly with the support of Trump.
“Elon Musk has absolutely no business raiding the Department of Labor to obtain the sensitive personal information of workers,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “It’s outrageous that Musk thinks he has the authority to access private data on workers from an agency that’s entrusted with protecting the fundamental rights of working people. With this lawsuit, we intend to stop Musk’s power grab cold.”
The labor union has filed a motion for temporary restraining order in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to stop Musk’s DOGE, from unlawfully accessing the DOL’s systems and information.
“The Trump administration, including the much shadowed government, seems intent on dismantling much of the federal government and the vital services it provides in violation of the constitution and federal regulation. The administration has relentlessly attacked federal employees subjecting them to pay outs and fear,” Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) told protesters. “Let’s be clear what is motivating those actions, they are designed to get experts like those we work with to quit the workforce, they want to gut the nonpartisan civil services and convert a significant part of remaining civil service into political appointees.”
Republicans also have spoken out against Musk.
“Efficiency in government should be a goal for every administration, agency, and federal employee. But how we achieve it also matters,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) shared in a statement.
“By circumventing proper channels and procedures, and creating the potential to compromise the sensitive data of Americans, we create a tremendous amount of unnecessary anxiety,” Murkowski continued. “That is wrong. Good governance is based on trust, not fear.”