The head of the U.S. Social Security Administration threatened on Friday to shut down the agency and then backed down from the threat. Trump’s head of Social Security, Leland Dudek, made the initial threat after a federal judge blocked Elon Musk’s DOGE from accessing Social Security records, which the judge likened to a “fishing expedition.”

Meanwhile, Trump’s commerce secretary, billionaire Howard Lutnick, has sparked outrage after suggesting only fraudsters would complain if Social Security checks didn’t go out on time.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick: “Let’s say Social Security didn’t send out their checks this month. My mother-in-law, who’s 94, she wouldn’t call and complain. She just wouldn’t. She’d think something got messed up, and she’ll get it next month. A fraudster always makes the loudest noise, screaming, yelling and complaining.”