'Not My President' protests in downtown Tampa take aim at Trump Administration and Elon Musk
'Not My President' rally in downtown Tampa
FOX 13's Kylie Jones reports on the 'Not My President' protests in downtown Tampa on President's Day that took aim at the Trump Administration and Elon Musk's growing role within it.
TAMPA, Fla. - On President’s Day, protests against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk were held around the country.
Groups organized ‘Not My President’ protests in Tampa and Sarasota to speak out against Trump’s recent sweeping executive orders.
'Not My President' protestors in downtown Tampa.
In Tampa, large groups gathered outside City Hall on Monday afternoon to protest Trump and Musk.
What they're saying:
"Now, we're divided realities," Heidi Allen, who attended the protest, said.
Many protestors expressed more outrage at Elon Musk's authority within the government through the newly founded Department of Government Efficiency, nicknamed DOGE.
"Who is in our government deciding what goes and what stays," one protestor said.
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Musk has risen to become one of President Trump’s right-hand men since he took office in January.
DOGE has implemented thousands of layoffs of federal workers from agencies across the government, an effort Musk has said will make the government more efficient and eliminate waste.
'Not My President' protestor in downtown Tampa holding a 'no-one elected Elon' sign.
READ: Elon Musk's DOGE setting its sights on the penny
This includes layoffs in agencies like Health and Human Services, the Department of Education and Veterans' Affairs.
"Who's going to help the veterans if you’re firing all the people who make the Veterans Administration run?" Allen said. "It's ridiculous. Yes, there’s duplication of government."
Protestors also take issue with the fact that Musk is not an elected official.
"If you want to fix the house, you don't tear up the foundation. And that’s what I’m watching happen right now with someone who’s totally unelected," one said.
The other side:
Musk spoke in the Oval Office with President Trump last week and called many of the recent moves within different federal agencies simple changes.
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"We’re actually trying to be as transparent as possible," Musk said. "In fact, we post our actions to the DOGE handle on X and to the DOGE website. All of our actions are maximally transparent."
Musk was also questioned about his own accountability in the position.
Musk and Trump speaking to reporters in the Oval Office.
"And you can see, am I doing something that benefits one of my companies or not? It’s totally obvious," Musk said.
President Trump defended Musk and added that he is qualified for this job.
"And, we thought we would not let him do that segment or look in that area if we thought there was a lack of transparency or a conflict of interest," Trump said.
What's next:
A lawsuit has been filed by 14 states, arguing that Musk and Trump's administration have engaged in illegal executive overreach, but a judge has not ruled on the case yet.
The cases take issue with DOGE's actions involving seven federal agencies:
- Office of Personnel Management
- Department of Education
- Department of Labor
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of Energy
- Department of Transportation
- Department of Commerce.
The Source: FOX 13's Kylie Jones collected the information in this story.
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