Trump Administration Requests Supreme Court Approval for DOGE Access to Social Security Data

In yet another example of the D.C. establishment resisting transparency and accountability, a federal judge has blocked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—a Trump-era agency tasked with cutting waste—from accessing personal Social Security data. While entrenched bureaucrats and left-wing legal activists celebrate the decision, President Donald Trump and his administration are not backing down. In a bold and necessary move, the Trump team has appealed directly to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the justices to allow DOGE to continue its vital mission to expose fraud and protect American taxpayer dollars.

This challenge follows a ruling by Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland, who claimed DOGE’s data request was overly broad and labeled it a “fishing expedition.” Her decision, heavily lobbied for by a coalition of leftist labor unions and Democrat-aligned legal groups like Democracy Forward, temporarily halted DOGE’s access to Social Security Administration (SSA) records—records that could hold the key to rooting out billions in fraud.

The Biden-aligned Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals refused to lift Judge Hollander’s ruling, which prompted the Trump administration to file an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court. Solicitor General D. John Sauer laid out a compelling case: the lower court’s overreach not only blocks DOGE from fulfilling its anti-fraud mandate, but also cripples efforts across multiple federal agencies that depend on secure and lawful access to this kind of data for government integrity, national security, and program efficiency.

Let’s not forget why DOGE exists in the first place. President Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency through executive order to target and eliminate the rampant abuse, duplication, and inefficiency that plague federal programs. DOGE’s mission is rooted in the core conservative principle that government should work for the people—not enrich bureaucrats or serve as a piggy bank for grifters and fraudsters.

Under Trump’s directive, DOGE began investigating anomalies in SSA databases, including reports of individuals listed as being over 120 years old who were still active in the system. Elon Musk, a supporter of government reform and technological innovation, has echoed Trump’s call to examine the Social Security system, pointing out that even a small percentage of fraud in a program as large as Social Security could translate to billions of wasted dollars every year.

That’s not fear-mongering. The SSA itself has admitted that improper payments, including overpayments, totaled over $20 billion in just one recent year. Yet when an agency like DOGE tries to dig deeper, they’re stonewalled by activist judges and partisan groups masquerading as defenders of privacy.

Judge Hollander and her allies claim this is about privacy. But the reality is far more political. DOGE investigators—only ten in number at SSA, and most with limited read-only access—underwent privacy training and background checks. This isn’t mass surveillance; it’s targeted analysis of outlier data points and suspicious patterns that could indicate fraud, much like how the IRS or DHS operates.

In fact, Acting Social Security Commissioner Lee Dudek acknowledged that DOGE had uncovered anomalies, even if not all of them involved improper payments. That’s the whole point of oversight: to investigate, verify, and act. But the left is terrified of what DOGE might find—because fraud in federal programs doesn’t just waste money, it undermines the credibility of the entire welfare state they’ve built.

President Trump has long been a champion for government accountability and fiscal responsibility. Whether it’s through auditing foreign aid, cutting bloated agency budgets, or exposing fraudulent claims in entitlement programs, Trump has made clear that every dollar of taxpayer money must be protected. His push to restore DOGE’s access to SSA data is another example of his hands-on leadership to drain the swamp and return power to the people.

Fox News and the New York Post have both covered the case, highlighting how DOGE’s efforts reflect broader goals of the America First agenda: reduce government waste, restore trust in public programs, and ensure honest Americans aren’t footing the bill for abuse they never signed up for.

The high court’s response will be closely watched—not just because of its implications for DOGE, but because it represents a broader ideological clash between Trump’s vision of a lean, efficient government and the Democrat establishment’s desire to expand bureaucracy and shield it from scrutiny.

If the Supreme Court sides with Trump’s position, it could set a powerful precedent for agency oversight and open the door to similar investigations across other entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid. If not, the ruling may embolden activists to further block any serious effort to reform government and uncover abuse.

At its core, this case isn’t about “privacy.” It’s about whether America will continue tolerating a bloated, unaccountable bureaucracy or stand behind bold, data-driven reform led by a president who actually understands business, accountability, and results. President Trump created DOGE to do exactly this kind of work—and now it’s time to let them finish the job.

The Supreme Court has the opportunity to support the American people and deliver a major win for transparency, accountability, and common sense. One thing is certain: the Trump administration isn’t giving up this fight—and neither should we.

At RedState, we’ll continue to report on these legal battles and expose the truth behind the headlines. President Trump is once again leading the charge, not for special interests, but for you—the American taxpayer.