Another roadblock for Trump.
A major roadblock has been thrown in front of President Trump’s plan to stop fraud and waste inside the federal government.
On Thursday, a federal judge in Baltimore issued a ruling that blocks Elon Musk’s government reform team from accessing Social Security data that could help identify fraud, abuse, and mismanagement.
Judge Appointed by Obama Sides with Bureaucracy Over Reform
U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander—appointed by Barack Obama—granted a preliminary injunction that halts the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from viewing non-anonymized Social Security records. DOGE is the Trump-era agency now led by tech entrepreneur and reform advocate Elon Musk.
Judge Hollander ordered that:
- All sensitive data received since Jan. 20 must be purged
- No changes can be made to SSA software
- DOGE must remove any code already installed
- No code may be shared or altered
However, DOGE can still access redacted or anonymized data, but only after passing training and background checks—requirements that slow down fraud investigations dramatically.
“Taxpayers deserve a government that protects—not squanders—their money,” Hollander wrote.
But she claimed DOGE’s methods were “in conflict” with how the Social Security Administration has operated for nearly 90 years.
Elon Musk’s Team Targeted for Trying to Expose Government Waste
The case was filed by labor unions and liberal activist groups, who claim DOGE’s fraud-busting tools pose a “privacy risk.” But Trump officials argue it’s about holding the federal bureaucracy accountable.
During a heated hearing, Judge Hollander repeatedly questioned the administration’s push for full data access:
“What exactly are we doing that necessitates all of that information?”
DOJ attorney Bradley Humphreys responded that anonymizing all the data would be “extremely burdensome” and would cripple anti-fraud operations.
But critics—backed by Democrat-linked nonprofits—called DOGE’s work a “sea change” in how government data is handled.
Legal Group Claims “Relief” While Retirees Lose Protection
Skye Perryman, head of the left-wing group Democracy Forward, praised the ruling, claiming it protects millions of Americans. But for many taxpayers and retirees, it raises a troubling question:
Why are bureaucrats and judges protecting fraud instead of fixing it?
DOGE’s work continues at other federal agencies, where similar lawsuits are underway. In fact, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals—which recently ruled in favor of President Trump—could reverse this decision as well.
That court previously allowed DOGE access to data from:
- The Department of Education
- The Treasury Department
- The Office of Personnel Management
And also upheld Trump’s executive orders rolling back Biden-era “diversity and inclusion” mandates.
🚨 Bottom Line: The War on Government Waste Just Hit a Liberal Roadblock
This ruling slows down efforts to uncover Social Security fraud, bureaucratic abuse, and taxpayer waste—all issues that President Trump has vowed to tackle head-on in his second term.
As Americans over 50 know all too well, Social Security should be protected from fraud—not hidden behind red tape.
