More than 100 people on Tuesday protested against Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Raleigh.
The protesters gathered outside a Tesla dealership in northwest Raleigh on Glenwood Avenue. The group, Engaged Durhamites for Democracy, organized the protest to “stand up to Musk, DOGE and the Constitutional crisis.”
Other WRAL Top Stories
"I hate what [Musk] is doing," said Karen Ziegler, a demonstrator at the protest. "He's taking a sledgehammer to our government and our personal information."
On President Donald Trump's first day of his second term, he signed an executive order creating DOGE and gave the agency purview to shrink the federal government. Musk has repeatedly stated that DOGE's goal is to "defeat bureaucracy and restore democracy."
Tuesday wasn't the first time this month North Carolinians protested against the billionaire. On Feb. 5, hundreds gathered in downtown Raleigh to protest Trump's administration and Musk.
"I really disagree with the direction our country is taking," said Cindy Kameroff, another demonstrator at Tuesday's protest. "I feel like [Elon] Musk is largely responsible."
Mike Gallagher, another demonstrator, found himself on the Tesla grounds years after purchasing a vehicle years ago.
"He's totally un-elected; he's overstepping any sort of boundaries, the government and constitution has put in place," he said.
DOGE shut down USAID in February, resulting in more than 2,000 employees losing their jobs and placing several more on leave, and recently asked federal workers to send their supervisors a bulleted list of tasks they completed in the previous week or risk losing their jobs if they refused.
Critics have said the agenda that Trump and Musk share is "shaking the foundations of U.S. democracy." Democrats have attacked Trump's policies, leading to the protests across the nation in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, 21 federal tech employees with DOGE resigned, stating they were refusing to use their technical expertise to “dismantle critical public services.”
“We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations,” the 21 staffers wrote in a joint resignation letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. “However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments.”
According to the staffers, people wearing White House visitors' badges, some of whom would not give their names, grilled the nonpartisan employees about their qualifications and politics. Some made statements that indicated they had a limited technical understanding.
Musk’s slash-and-burn efforts to downsize government have so far diverged from what Trump outlined during his 2024 presidential campaign. DOGE, a nod to the preferred cryptocurrency meme coin of the world’s richest man, was originally presented as a blue-ribbon commission that would exist outside the government.
Tesla, which is owned by Musk, has seen a 34% drop year-over-year in North Carolina, but is still the top dealership in the state. It is unclear if those drops in numbers are a result of Musk's involvement in the Trump administration or competition from other automakers.
Several Republican members of the House of Representatives and the Senate have faced intense scrutiny in front of their constituents at various town halls across the country.
A spokesperson with the NCGOP said the party supports Musk's efforts to create a more efficient government.
"Many states are now setting up DOGE-like entities based on the success we have seen thanks to President Trump and Elon Musk."
Similar demonstrations took place outside the Tesla dealership in High Point.
WRAL News reached out to Tesla after Tuesday's protest and is waiting to hear back.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.