The country’s biggest union for federal workers gathered outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday to deplore the Trump administration’s attacks on the civil service.
Members of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 800,000 federal and Washington city employees, are in the nation’s capital this week for their annual legislative conference. It’s a chance for the union to press members of Congress to defend their jobs and agencies, which are increasingly under threat as President Donald Trump shutters offices and puts thousands of career staffers on paid leave.
AFGE has emerged as one of the Trump administration’s prime antagonists, filing lawsuit after lawsuit to stop or stall various plans by the president. The union has also targeted tech mogul Elon Musk, whose so-called Department of Government Efficiency has gained access to sensitive government systems and cut off funding streams.
AFGE President Everett Kelley said at Tuesday’s rally that no one voted for Musk in last year’s election that returned Trump to the White House.
