The acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration and her top deputy have left following a confrontation with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team over access to data on 70 million beneficiaries, according to people familiar with the moves.

The departures of acting head Michelle King and acting deputy commissioner Tiffany Flick represent the latest fallout from DOGE’s efforts to access millions of Americans’ sensitive data. Musk has defended his group’s actions as necessary to root out what he says is waste, fraud and abuse.

King refused to allow DOGE personnel to view the sensitive information and so the White House replaced her with a lower-level official, according to Nancy Altman, president of the liberal advocacy group Social Security Works, who said agency employees told her about the clash. King opted to retire from government rather than accept a subordinate position, Altman said.

Trump later questioned whether King had “resigned or got fired.”

“I think got fired,” he said Tuesday.

— The Associated Press