Democrats rallied against billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk, who also heads up President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), outside the Social Security Administration’s headquarters in Baltimore.
Democrats from both chambers gathered to sound alarm after a judge temporarily blocked Musk and DOGE personnel from gaining access to the Treasury Department’s sensitive payment system.
“We have one simple message, which is: Elon Musk, keep your hands off of our Social Security,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said at the top of the press conference Monday.
“They have accessed highly sensitive personal information on Americans at the Department of Treasury, including Social Security numbers, bank accounts and other very sensitive information,” he also said, accusing Musk of “conducting illegal raids on federal agencies with his DOGE crew.”
Among those in attendance at the demonstration included Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and Democratic Maryland Reps. Kweisi Mfume (D), Johnny Olszewski and Sarah Elfreth. Martin O’Malley, the former Baltimore mayor, Maryland governor and Social Security commissioner, also spoke at the event.
While Trump has set ambitious sights on shrinking the size of government, the president has also vowed to protect Social Security, which comprises a chunk of annual federal spending.
However, reports that DOGE has received access to the Treasury payment system used to disburse funds — including Social Security benefits, tax refunds and salaries for federal workers — have set off a firestorm in Washington, particularly as Democrats have accused Republicans of wanting to target Social Security.
The Treasury said not long after the news broke that a review of the system was underway and that DOGE staff would only have “read only” access. Musk and his team have also since been blocked from accessing the system.
Democrats have been ramping up attacks on Musk as he emerges as a key player in the Trump administration’s cost-cutting efforts.
The opposition comes amid broader efforts by Democratic leaders to counter the president’s actions on spending, as the party accuses Trump of overstepping his powers in seeking to withhold congressionally approved funds for some programs and dismantle federal agencies.
Recent efforts by Trump to freeze federal aid have also been tied up in the courts as critics raise questions of legality.
