Dozens gather outside Rep. David Schweikert’s Scottsdale office to protest DOGE

PHOENIX — Dozens of Arizona voters took to the street outside Rep. David Schweikert’s office for a DOGE protest on Monday.

Many of them said they’re fed up with the Trump administration’s sweeping budget cuts. Recently, National Park Service officials warned the public to expect long entry lines at the Grand Canyon due to layoffs by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

One of the protestors, Andy Porter, told KTAR News 92.3 FM he’s disappointed in Schweikert for not standing up against Musk.

“Congressman Schweikert and his colleagues are doing no oversight as the world’s richest man dismembers our democracy, dismembers agencies that America counts on, destroys the lives of tens and soon to be hundreds of thousands of good, hard-working, American civil servants who did nothing wrong other than go to work and do their jobs,” Porter said. “I can’t stand it.”

HAPPENING NOW: Protesters are demonstrating outside Congressman David Schweikert’s office against the Trump Administration. Among there frustrations are DOGE lead by billionaire Elon Musk. @KTAR923 pic.twitter.com/8McaO2V8ni

— Heidi Hommel (@heidi_hommel) February 24, 2025

The peaceful protest started outside Schweikert’s north Scottsdale office at 10 a.m. The purpose of the event, which was organized by Arizona Indivisible, was to encourage the Republican representative of Arizona’s 1st Congressional district to do more to support his constituents.

What do people at DOGE protest want David Schweikert to do?

Porter said Schweikert’s job as a legislator is to make sure non-elected people like Musk can’t interfere with the private data of Americans.

“He doesn’t have to do much. Get Elon Musk under oath in front of a committee and demand that he says what he’s doing,” Porter said. “Congress has an oversight role, he has an oversight role, and he just needs to do his job.

Porter, who lives in Scottsdale, said he wishes Schweikert would spend more time speaking to his constituents.

“No one hears a peep from him. He stands on the floor of the Congress, speaks nonsense … goes to work, collects a big salary, has a big staff, has lots of perks, and is not doing his job,” Porter said. “His silence is complicity.”

Protestor says Elon Musk is threatening the U.S. Constitution

Another protestor, Lucy Marshall, also echoed Porter’s belief that Schweikert is failing in his duty as a Congressman by not speaking out against Musk.

“He was elected as a fiscal conservative who upholds the Constitution,” Marshall told KTAR News.

She said she was at the DOGE protest because she thinks the department’s mass layoffs and freezing of federal aid aren’t Constitutional.

“He’s not being smart at all about allowing everything to take place that has been,” Marshall said of Schweikert. “We’ve been asking for a meeting for about three weeks now and have not, actually, heard any reply at all.”

Protestors have reached out to Schweikert multiple times. They informed him that they would be protesting today, she said.

Until they can get a meeting with Schweikert, protestors will be outside his office every Monday at 10 a.m., she added.

“This is the only way we can, hopefully, get our point across,” Marshall said. “We just want him to hear from his constituents.”

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Heidi Hommel contributed to this report.

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