Summary

Acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek threatened to shut down the agency after a court barred Elon Musk’s DOGE team from accessing sensitive databases.

Dudek said he would cut off IT access for all employees, raising fears of halted benefits for 70 million Americans.

The court later clarified that not all SSA employees were DOGE affiliates, leading Dudek to backtrack.

Critics, including advocacy groups, accuse Dudek of undermining the agency and pursuing Musk and Trump’s anti-fraud agenda, which falsely alleges widespread improper payments.