“Musk’s Team Simply Did Not Understand the Data”: Maybe It Wasn’t a Great Idea to Let DOGE Loose on Social Security

While Elon Musk spent a number of months this 12 months wreaking incalculable havoc throughout the federal authorities, he took a particular curiosity within the Social Security Administration, the place, because of DOGE’s handiwork, almost half of the company’s senior executives, in addition to hundreds of rank-and-file staff, have left their jobs. At the identical time, DOGE gained entry to the delicate knowledge of thousands and thousands of individuals, and the present workforce has needed to cope with understandably panicked Americans who’re anxious about persevering with to obtain advantages. In March, Musk claimed DOGE’s work was obligatory as a result of fraud on the SSA was so dangerous that 40% of the calls to the company’s customer support line have been coming from scammers. But shock: That wasn’t really true, nor have been a variety of different justifications DOGE used to take a sledgehammer to the company.

The New York Times studies that shortly after Musk made his 40% declare—and after journalists adopted up with fact-checks—SSA staffers started to prep a correction. Then they acquired a name from Stephen Miller’s spouse, Katie Miller, who insisted, “The number is 40%,” including, “Do not contradict the president,” as Donald Trump believed Musk was proper—and in an authoritarian regime, the president will get to determine what constitutes actuality. But the members of Musk’s staff didn’t simply use untruths to justify their work on the Social Security Administration. They additionally used their very own incapability to investigate knowledge, in addition to large hubris, to take action.

Per the Times:

…in early February, a DOGE staff stationed on the Treasury Department gained entry to essential federal knowledge: the funds the Treasury processed on behalf of presidency businesses. Inside that system, DOGE members noticed taxpayer funds flowing to individuals who appeared to not have Social Security numbers, based on an inside memo considered by the Times and folks briefed on DOGE’s evaluation of the Treasury knowledge. Other recipients appeared to be lifeless.

None of it was proof of wrongdoing, Social Security staff would later clarify to DOGE. Mr. Musk’s staff merely didn’t perceive the info. But on X, Mr. Musk all of a sudden started accusing the company of enabling “massive fraud,” saying in a flurry of posts beginning Feb. 9 that Social Security funds had been going to scammers and “illegals.” At Social Security’s sprawling, Baltimore-area headquarters on Feb. 10, Mr. Musk’s staff demanded motion.

Agency specialists carried out “extensive analysis” to clarify to DOGE that the funds have been, in truth, legitimate, however as a result of stated specialists have been profession civil servants, they have been apparently to not be trusted, based on the Times, which spoke to individuals acquainted with the matter. Instead, Team DOGE requested a 21-year-old DOGE rent to “conduct his own analysis,” which, sure, sounds rather a lot just like the “I do my own research” individuals with regards to whether or not they need to vaccinate their youngsters. Anyway, the then appearing commissioner pushed again on granting entry to the private knowledge of thousands and thousands of Americans—which might embody SSN numbers, addresses, dates of start, and profit quantities, amongst different issues—however, shocker, she was quickly “forced out” of the administration.

Elsewhere, Musk took to social media in mid-February to counsel that thousands and thousands of individuals over the age of 120 have been nonetheless being paid Social Security, although, with uncommon exceptions, the company stops making funds to anybody listed as older than 115. That little element didn’t sway the richest man on the planet, who as a substitute selected to…waste everybody’s time:

Nonetheless, false notions about lifeless individuals in Social Security’s database all of a sudden grew to become a Trump administration precedence. In complete, a dozen DOGE members descended on the company. DOGE leaders directed Social Security employees to set about marking individuals older than 120 as lifeless, courtroom data present. On social media, Mr. Musk hailed the hassle.

…But an inside memo from DOGE officers…acknowledged the cleanup venture wouldn’t assist the company remove the comparatively small variety of funds to lifeless individuals, though it might support anti-fraud efforts at different authorities departments that relied on Social Security knowledge. “It will have no impact on benefits,” said the DOGE memo, a replica of which was reviewed by the Times.

As for Musk’s declare that 40% of calls have been coming from scammers? That led to a proposed coverage change whereby individuals would now not be capable of file for advantages or change account data over the telephone, inflicting freaked-out retirees and folks with disabilities to descend on overworked, understaffed area workplaces. In an interview with the Times this month, Frank Bisignano, who was confirmed as SSA commissioner in May, acknowledged that the 40% determine was a fallacy, saying, “We’re going to be a fact-based, rule-based organization that can count.” Later, the company instructed the outlet: “The work that DOGE did was 100% accurate.”