At a press conference on Tuesday, President Donald Trump appeared surprised when asked about the resignation of Michelle King, the Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration. King, who was appointed by Trump on January 20, stepped down after less than a month in the role.
Reports suggest her resignation came after clashes with Republican megadonor Elon Musk, who has been influencing decisions at several government agencies through his so-called “Department of Government Efficiency.
Musk reportedly sought access to sensitive Social Security records, which led King to resign in protest on Monday. Trump has since appointed Leland Dudek, the head of the agency’s anti-fraud division, to replace her.
During the press conference at Mar-a-Lago, a reporter asked Trump about King’s resignation. Trump initially seemed unaware of the situation, asking, “Who resigned?” When the reporter clarified that it was the head of Social Security, Trump suggested that King may have been fired rather than resigning voluntarily. He quipped, “When you fire somebody, they always resign and then they say, ‘We resigned.’”
Trump then shifted the conversation to claims made by Musk about alleged fraud within the Social Security Administration, including dubious assertions that checks were being sent to people born in the 1870s. Trump echoed Musk’s concerns, saying, “When you have numbers like that, I think, really, it’s, got fired. They have to get fired. Who would keep them? How could you have numbers like this? The big thing is, how many of these people got paid? Were they getting paid? How many of them were getting paid Social Security? Because if that’s the case, it’s a massive fraud.”
Trump’s comments highlight the ongoing tension and controversy surrounding the leadership changes at the Social Security Administration, as well as the influence of figures like Musk on government operations. The situation raises questions about transparency, accountability, and the potential impact on the agency’s ability to serve the public effectively.
