DOGE Cuts Update for March 17: Federal Workers Rally Against ‘Power Grab’

Federal Workers Rally Against Trump Administration’s Job Cuts in San Francisco

Thousands of federal workers and their supporters gathered in San Francisco on Sunday to protest the Trump administration’s sweeping job cuts, which they describe as a "power grab" aimed at privatizing essential services. Mark Smith, president of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) Local 1, was among the speakers who criticized the cuts, arguing that they are not about efficiency or reducing waste but about empowering billionaires. "The plan is simple: You force privatization and sell off our services to billionaires so they can make a profit," Smith said during the rally. The protesters expressed their outrage over the tens of thousands of job losses announced by federal agencies in recent weeks, as part of an apparent effort by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to shrink the federal workforce. Newsweek reached out to DOGE for comment, but no response was received at the time of writing.

Nationwide Protests Against Federal Job Cuts Intensify

The San Francisco rally was just one of many protests held across the United States in recent weeks. In New York, thousands of demonstrators gathered on Friday to protest the mass firings and proposed cuts to critical programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and veteran services. Meanwhile, veterans themselves organized protests nationwide to denounce the Trump administration’s cuts to services tailored to their needs. Another wave of protests targeted Tesla showrooms across the country, organized by the "Tesla Takedown" movement. This grassroots initiative is urging people to "sell your Teslas, dump your stock, and join the picket lines" as a form of resistance against Musk’s collaboration with DOGE. According to CNN, more than 80 protests were planned for Saturday alone, with significant turnouts reported in cities like Baltimore, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Tesla Takedown described itself as a "nonviolent grassroots protest movement" and called on Americans to "show Donald Trump and Elon Musk that there are no kings in America."

Trump Administration Slashes Funding to Voice of America and Pro-Democracy Media

The Trump administration has come under fire for its decision to drastically cut funding to Voice of America (VOA) and other pro-democracy media outlets. On Friday night, President Trump directed his administration to reduce the functions of several agencies, including the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA. Kari Lake, a former Arizona gubernatorial candidate and senior adviser to the agency, described the organization as "a giant rot and burden to the American taxpayer—a national security risk." In response, Michael Abramowitz, the director of the organization, expressed his deep sadness over the decision, stating that VOA is being silenced for the first time in 83 years. Virtually all of VOA’s 1,300 journalists, producers, and support staff have been placed on administrative leave, rendering the agency unable to fulfill its mission of countering disinformation from adversaries like Iran, China, and Russia. International press advocacy groups, including Reporters Without Borders, have condemned the move, warning that it undermines the U.S.’s role as a global defender of free information and emboldens authoritarian regimes worldwide.

Tens of Thousands of Federal Jobs Slashed Under DOGE’s Initiative

The job cuts implemented by the Trump administration have already had a devastating impact on federal employees. Tens of thousands of job losses have been announced across numerous agencies, with some of the hardest-hit departments including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the United States Postal Service (USPS), and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The IRS plans to cut approximately 18,000 employees, representing about 20% of its workforce, while USPS announced the elimination of 10,000 jobs within a month. The Department of Education is also planning to lay off more than 1,300 workers, and the Department of Veterans Affairs is set to cut 80,000 jobs as part of a broader reorganization. Additionally, at least 24,000 probationary federal workers have been terminated since Trump took office, prompting a lawsuit from nearly 20 states accusing the administration of illegal mass firings. Last week, two federal judges ordered 19 federal agencies to reinstate some of the fired probationary workers. Meanwhile, about 75,000 federal employees have accepted buyout offers to leave their jobs voluntarily, receiving pay and benefits until September 30.

DOGE Claims $115 Billion in Savings, But Skeptics Question the Figures

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasked with modernizing federal technology and slashing government spending, has claimed that its efforts have saved the federal government an estimated $115 billion as of March 11. This figure equates to about $714 per taxpayer, according to DOGE. However, these savings have not been fully verified, as the receipts provided on DOGE’s website represent only about 30% of the total savings. Data analyst Brian Banks, creator of the Musk Watch DOGE Tracker, has estimated the verifiable savings at around $8.6 billion as of March 11. Despite its ambitious claims, DOGE has faced significant criticism for its approach to reducing the federal workforce and privatizing public services. Critics argue that the cuts are not only harmful to federal employees but also threaten the quality and accessibility of critical services that millions of Americans rely on.

What Is DOGE, and How Does It Operate?

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was created by an executive order signed by President Trump on his first day back in office, January 20. Despite its name, DOGE is not a traditional government agency established by Congress. Instead, it operates as a task force responsible for identifying ways to root out waste and slash government spending. DOGE’s primary focus is on modernizing federal technology and software to enhance efficiency and productivity. However, its methods have been met with widespread criticism, particularly from federal workers and their supporters, who argue that the cuts are driven by a broader agenda to privatize public services and empower corporate interests. As the protests continue to grow in size and intensity, it remains to be seen how DOGE and the Trump administration will respond to the backlash over their controversial policies.