WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Hundreds of federal workers gathered in the nation’s capital Monday for a “Not Our President’s Day” rally, protesting sweeping job cuts under President Donald Trump’s administration and Elon Musk’s push to reduce government operations.

Chanting “Stop the coup,” demonstrators voiced concerns over mass layoffs affecting agencies across the federal government. Many current and former employees argue that essential services are being dismantled, leaving the nation vulnerable.

“These are hardworking people doing things like bringing medicine to fight AIDS in Africa,” said Nicholas Ryan, a retired federal worker.

The Trump administration’s cost-cutting measures have already led to significant reductions in personnel. On Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cut roughly 500 jobs. Over the weekend, 1,800 employees at the Department of Energy (DOE) were dismissed, including workers responsible for maintaining the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile. The administration has since attempted to rehire those workers.

“We’re getting rid of all oversight. It’s frightening,” Ryan added.

Federal employees who have not yet been impacted say they fear they could be next. The layoffs come at a particularly sensitive time, as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) braces for further job losses in the middle of tax season.

On ABC’s This Week, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) acknowledged the hardships faced by affected workers.

“We hate that people are losing their jobs,” Mullin said, but defended the administration’s actions as a necessary step toward fiscal responsibility.

“The debt that we have in this country is not manageable. It is a national security risk,” he added.

Meanwhile, congressional Democrats are demanding answers from the White House, raising concerns over whether sensitive taxpayer information has been compromised amid the government downsizing.