Trump Defends DOGE’s Access to Federal Systems

President Donald Trump on Feb. 7 defended the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE’s) access to federal IT systems and confirmed he directed its staff to probe the departments of Education and Defense. Trump made the comments during a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday. In response to a question about DOGE staffers allegedly accessing data that could include Americans’ personal information, Trump justified the advisory commission’s actions. He said that rampant waste in the federal government had gone unchecked and that he was proud of the work DOGE’s staff were doing. He also vowed that “Social Security will not be touched.”...