The Social Security Administration, once providing financial assistance to over 72 million older Americans, has now witnessed a clash with Musk that has been simmering for weeks, reaching its climax on Monday when Acting Head Michelle King was removed and replaced by anti-fraud official Leland Dudek, who will oversee operations until Frank Bisignano, Trump’s nominee, is confirmed by the Senate. The White House Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields stated in a statement regarding this move that President Trump is committed to appointing the best and most qualified individuals dedicated to serving the American people, not appeasing a bureaucracy that has failed them for far too long. Fields did not immediately respond to requests for additional information regarding the level of access Musk’s team enjoys and whether changes are being made. This latest move is just one in a long series of political disputes surrounding a program vital to millions of Americans. Altman, involved in the Social Security debate for decades, expressed concern about the potential for deeper reforms following Musk’s unprecedented actions. Altman’s group has long been aligned with left-leaning figures such as Senator Bernie Sanders, advocating for increased taxes to enhance benefits from the program. Musk claimed his focus is on issues like fraud and his assertion that 150-year-olds are on the rolls. Musk humorously suggested last week that such individuals should be in the Guinness Book of World Records, emphasizing his main priority of ensuring that those entitled to receive Social Security receive it quickly and accurately. This claim has been echoed by Trump’s advisors, including White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who stated that Trump has directed DOGE to investigate fraud, suspecting that there are tens of millions of deceased individuals receiving fraudulent Social Security payments. However, Leavitt also noted on Monday that they have not yet delved into the books, with Musk also making his charges after a so-called ‘cursory’ examination. The Social Security Administration’s Inspector General released an audit of improper payments last year, revealing a different picture. It found that from 2015 to 2022, the agency made approximately $71.8 billion in improper payments, or about 0.84 percent, usually in the form of overpayments. Altman dismissed the claim of 150-year-olds receiving checks as false, explaining that the COBOL programming language that runs the program defaults to May 20, 1875, if a birth date for any recipient is missing. Other reports have also suggested that this programming quirk could be the reason behind the claims of 150-year-olds on the rolls.