Washington DC - Michelle King, acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), reportedly resigned over the weekend over a dispute with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

King's resignation comes amid a dispute with DOGE as President Donald Trump's new department tried to gain access to sensitive government records and the personal information of thousands of Americans stored by the SSA.

The Washington Post reports that Michelle King's departure was in direct response to the actions of DOGE, and was followed by the appointment of Leland Dudek as a temporary replacement.

Trump's pick to permanently replace the commissioner is Frank Bisignano, but he still needs to be vetted and approved by the Senate before he can step in as SSA head.

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SSA records include the details of more than 70 million people who receive pension payments, as well as millions of other individuals who have accessed their services in the past.

Concerns circle over whether DOGE has the authority to access such private and closely-held information.

On Monday, a judge blocked an effort to stop DOGE from accessing private student data at the Department of Education, ringing a warning bell for those who want to block Musk, an unelected official, from accessing their private information.

Reports suggest that the new department has tried to access confidential information at the Internal Revenue Service as well, again including private personal data.

Efforts at the SSA are based on the belief, held by Trump, Musk, and other MAGA loyalists, that social security is a fraud on the American public and a waste of taxpayers' money.

"What I know is that DOGE wanted access to SSA’s sensitive files – the same way they’re trying to do at Labor and Treasury – and the acting commissioner wouldn’t give it, and she was replaced," Social Security Works' president Nancy Altman said of King's firing.

"There is no way to overstate how serious a breach this is," Altman told the Washington Post.