More than 10,000 protesters gathered in New York City on Presidents’ Day to speak out against the current Trump administration and the actions of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This protest was one of several that took place in major cities across the country and coincided with smaller protests at Tesla dealerships. Protesters in Washington Square Park expressed concerns about DOGE’s access to sensitive data and the dismantling of federal agencies. They viewed Musk’s involvement with DOGE as a financial power grab, criticizing his unprecedented levels of power as an unelected official. Dmitri, a 53-year-old architect, told TechCrunch, “I think it’s extremely dangerous that [Musk] has access to our personal data. He’s kind of a futurist fanboy who’s basically living in a sci-fi fantasy and trying to implement that, and has the resources to do mass amounts of damage. He’s tinkering with something that he doesn’t have the ability to actually understand.” Tom, a 55-year-old retired teacher, held a sign that read, “No one voted for Musk,” and stated, “As much as I dislike the fact that a significant number of Americans voted for Trump, it is absolutely the case that no one voted for Musk.” Tom also worried about the impact of DOGE’s cuts on Americans at the state, local, and individual levels. Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office to create DOGE, giving Musk, the billionaire owner of SpaceX, Tesla, X, and other companies, the authority to root out government fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer dollars. Since then, DOGE has fired nearly 10,000 federal workers and cut 104 government contracts related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs. The U.S. Agency for International Development was also dismantled. Trump granted Musk’s DOGE team access to the Treasury department’s digital payments system, despite questions about their security clearances and cybersecurity practices. Supporters of Trump and Musk applaud their efforts to root out corruption and inefficiency, while opponents warn of increased corruption and national security risks. Legal challenges have followed, alleging a lack of transparency and data privacy violations. The protesters in New York started at Union Square and marched to Washington Square Park, chanting, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Elon Musk has got to go,” and holding signs that highlighted various causes, with a common theme of opposition to Musk and DOGE. Victoria, a 37-year-old teacher, held a sign that read, “Stop the coup,” echoing comments made by Arizona’s attorney general, Kris Mayes, who called the situation a coup. Corwin, a 39-year-old small business owner, criticized Musk’s antiregulatory attitudes, which he believes benefit him personally and financially. Musk has targeted several agencies for reduction or dismantling, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Aviation Administration. His actions have affected Tesla’s brand image, with analyst Thomas Monteiro noting a trend of “severe brand devaluation.” — news from TechCrunch
