Michelle King Resigns Amid Clash with Elon Musk’s DOGE
A Sudden Exit
Michelle King, acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), resigned after tensions with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The dispute involved DOGE’s request for access to
confidential Social Security records, which SSA officials saw as a privacy violation.
“That was the breaking point for Michelle King,” said a senior federal official.
Leadership Shake-Up
The White House confirmed President Trump accepted her resignation and
appointed Leland Dudek, the SSA’s anti-fraud chief, as acting commissioner.
Trump also nominated Frank Bisignano, CEO of Fiserv, as the permanent head, calling him “highly qualified and talented.”
Musk’s Push for Transparency
Musk defended DOGE’s efforts to uncover waste and fraud, saying,
“There are thousands of Americans over 120 years old—on paper.”
Critics, however, warned that such data access poses major privacy risks.
A Symbolic Shift
King’s departure highlights a broader conflict between government privacy protections and Silicon Valley-style efficiency—
a struggle that could reshape how federal agencies handle sensitive public data.
