Hiltzik: Social Security is in Trump's crosshairs
3 weeks, 3 days ago

Hiltzik: Social Security is in Trump's crosshairs

LA Times  

Perhaps the most frequently cited quote from Donald Trump relevant to his purported efforts to root out government waste has been “we’re not touching Social Security,” or variations thereof. Its press release about the reduction referred to the program’s “bloated workforce.” To anyone who knows anything about the Social Security Administration, calling its workforce “bloated” sounds like a sick joke. He also said he thinks “cutting staff and the claim that Social Security is rife with fraud and abuse are both ridiculous.” The Trump acolytes have already taken an ax to some Social Security operations, as announced by Dudek — a former mid-level agency worker who stepped into the vacuum created by the departure of several managers who had dustups with Elon Musk’s DOGE outfit and by a delay in Senate confirmation of Commissioner-designate Frank Bisagnano, a banking and Wall Street veteran. Academic researchers reported in 2019 that the closing of field offices dealing with disability applications led to “a persistent 16% decline in the number of disability recipients in surrounding areas, with the largest effects for applicants with moderately severe conditions and low education levels.” In an appearance Friday on Joe Rogan’s webcast, Musk called Social Security “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time,” a repetition of an ancient meme that demonstrates only that he knows nothing about Social Security, and nothing about Ponzi schemes.

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History of this topic

'Even Trump knows it's big trouble': Commerce Secretary's statement lights up social media
Trending News
1 week ago

'Even Trump knows it's big trouble': Commerce Secretary's statement lights up social media

Raw Story  

Social media lit up Friday after President Donald Trump's commerce secretary Howard Lutnick made what some saw as insensitive comments about the hot-button topic of Social Security. Everyone from average Americans to members of Congress have expressed fears that Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is focusing in on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid as it continues to slash "waste, …

Social Security in-person identity checks opposed by advocates and retirees alike
1 week, 1 day ago

Social Security in-person identity checks opposed by advocates and retirees alike

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Social Security Administration’s plan to require in-person identity checks for millions of new and existing recipients while simultaneously closing government offices has sparked a furor among lawmakers, advocacy groups and program recipients who are worried that the government is placing unnecessary barriers in front of an already vulnerable population. The agency announced Tuesday that, beginning March 31, …

'Parasitical': Analyst blames cruel worldview for driving Musk's Social Security agenda
1 week, 3 days ago

'Parasitical': Analyst blames cruel worldview for driving Musk's Social Security agenda

Raw Story  

Elon Musk’s laser-like focus on Social Security can be blamed on one thing, a columnist wrote Monday — a belief that retired people are a “parasitical” drain on the nation’s resources. “In light of that, when he speaks of ‘waste’ in Social Security, he's hinting at this broader view that retired people are inherently illegitimate. “When the end goal is …

They've just signed Social Security's death warrant — are you ready?
2 weeks, 4 days ago

They've just signed Social Security's death warrant — are you ready?

Raw Story  

Tuesday night, Donald Trump stood before the nation and, with the full backing of billionaires like Elon Musk, laid the groundwork for the biggest heist in American history — the rapid, systematic destruction of Social Security, disguised as “reform.” We saw the formal announcement of it during Trump’s State of the Union address, and the DOGE announcement earlier in the …

'Way, way off': CNN fact checker points to Trump lie that 'stuck out the most' in speech
Trending News
3 weeks, 2 days ago

'Way, way off': CNN fact checker points to Trump lie that 'stuck out the most' in speech

Raw Story  

CNN's Daniel Dale fact-checked president Donald Trump's congressional address, but he said one lie in particular stuck out. The president gloated over the changes he's implemented during his first 43 days in office in a historically long, nearly 100-minute address, and Dale walked through some of the false or misleading claims Trump made during his speech, but he told host …

'One person listed at 360': Trump claims social security paying millions beyond 160
3 weeks, 2 days ago

'One person listed at 360': Trump claims social security paying millions beyond 160

Firstpost  

In a shocking claim, Trump says millions of people over 100—and even some supposedly over 220—are still receiving Social Security benefits President Donald Trump on Wednesday alleged in his first address to Congress of his second term that millions of senior citizens over age 100 — including some he maintained were older than 160 — were collecting social security cheques, …

'One person listed at 360': Trump claims social security paying millions beyond 160
3 weeks, 2 days ago

'One person listed at 360': Trump claims social security paying millions beyond 160

Firstpost  

In a shocking claim, Trump says millions of people over 100—and even some supposedly over 220—are still receiving Social Security benefits US President Donald Trump. Trump said that Social Security Administration records showed 4.7 million people aged 100 to 109 were receiving cheques. He also alleged that several hundred people older than 220 were still getting cheques, according to SSA …

Trump says millions of dead Americans receiving Social Security, gets fact-checked
3 weeks, 2 days ago

Trump says millions of dead Americans receiving Social Security, gets fact-checked

India Today  

United States President President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that millions of deceased Americans are getting social security pay, adding that even a 300-year-old man is getting the payment. Trump, during his first address to the Congress since returning to office, said 300-year-old man, other deceased are getting Social Security, Americans fact check Trump made the same claim last month …

Elon Musk Calls Social Security 'The Biggest Ponzi Scheme Of All Time'
3 weeks, 6 days ago

Elon Musk Calls Social Security 'The Biggest Ponzi Scheme Of All Time'

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Elon Musk is calling Social Security a “Ponzi scheme,” prompting suspicion that the world’s richest man is merely hoping to privatize a social safety net that has existed since the 1930s — and has kept millions of elderly, poor and disabled Americans from destitution. The billionaire argued Friday on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast that the United …

Social Security Administration Announces 'Significant Workforce Reductions' Ahead
1 month ago

Social Security Administration Announces 'Significant Workforce Reductions' Ahead

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING WASHINGTON ― The Social Security Administration is planning a massive reorganization that will involve “significant workforce reductions,” it told employees Thursday. The Social Security Administration runs one of the federal government’s most popular programs ― retirement benefits for 50 million older Americans ― on a shoestring budget, with administrative costs totaling just half a percent of agency …

The Social Security Administration says it plans to cut some 7,000 jobs
1 month ago

The Social Security Administration says it plans to cut some 7,000 jobs

NPR  

The Social Security Administration says it plans to cut some 7,000 jobs toggle caption Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images The Social Security Administration announced Friday that it aims to cut some 7,000 jobs to align with an executive order from President Trump to broadly slash the federal workforce. Sponsor Message Trump has said that Social Security "won't be touched" as he continues …

Social Security says higher payments are on the way for millions of former public workers
1 month ago

Social Security says higher payments are on the way for millions of former public workers

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — More than 3.2 million Social Security recipients who received pensions from their time as teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public service jobs will soon see a boost in their benefits. The Social Security Administration announced it would immediately begin processing retroactive payments and will send increased monthly payments to people affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision and …

Fact check: Eight ways Elon Musk has misled Americans about government spending
1 month ago

Fact check: Eight ways Elon Musk has misled Americans about government spending

CNN  

Washington CNN — Elon Musk has repeatedly misled the public about federal spending while playing a leading role in President Donald Trump’s effort to cut that spending. Promoting a phony video about USAID and celebrities As the Trump administration worked to dismantle the US Agency for International Development, Musk shared an X user’s post that claimed “USAID spent your tax …

Fact check: Eight ways Elon Musk has misled Americans about government spending
1 month ago

Fact check: Eight ways Elon Musk has misled Americans about government spending

CNN  

Washington CNN — Elon Musk has repeatedly misled the public about federal spending while playing a leading role in President Donald Trump’s effort to cut that spending. Promoting a phony video about USAID and celebrities As the Trump administration worked to dismantle the US Agency for International Development, Musk shared an X user’s post that claimed “USAID spent your tax …

'Nightmare for all of us': Anxiety mounts as DOGE troops circle Social Security
1 month ago

'Nightmare for all of us': Anxiety mounts as DOGE troops circle Social Security

Raw Story  

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. “It’s where people access government,” said Kathleen Romig, a longtime expert on the program at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities who recently served at the Social Security Administration in a temporary capacity. I bullied agency executives, shared executive contact information, and circumvented the chain of command to connect DOGE with the …

Trump official calls Social Security ‘wrong’ as administration lays groundwork for massive cuts
1 month, 1 week ago

Trump official calls Social Security ‘wrong’ as administration lays groundwork for massive cuts

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Donald Trump and Elon Musk are ramping up baseless claims …

Are millions of dead people collecting Social Security? Fact-checking Musk and Trump’s claims
1 month, 1 week ago

Are millions of dead people collecting Social Security? Fact-checking Musk and Trump’s claims

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. On Tuesday, Trump said at a press briefing in Florida that “we have millions …

New US Social Security chief contradicts claims that millions of dead people getting payouts
1 month, 1 week ago

New US Social Security chief contradicts claims that millions of dead people getting payouts

Live Mint  

Washington, The new head of the Social Security Administration said on Wednesday that deceased centenarians are "not necessarily receiving benefits", contradicting claims that tens of millions of dead people over the age of 100 are getting payments from the agency. On Tuesday, Trump said at a press briefing in Florida that "we have millions and millions of people over 100 …

New Social Security chief contradicts claims that millions of dead people are getting payouts
Trending News
1 month, 1 week ago

New Social Security chief contradicts claims that millions of dead people are getting payouts

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The new head of the Social Security Administration said Wednesday that deceased centenarians are “not necessarily receiving benefits,” contradicting claims that tens of millions of dead people over the age of 100 are getting payments from the agency. On Tuesday, Trump said at a press briefing in Florida that “we have millions and millions of people over 100 …

Debunked: Trump And Musk's Myth Of Social Security For Tens Of Millions Of Dead People
1 month, 1 week ago

Debunked: Trump And Musk's Myth Of Social Security For Tens Of Millions Of Dead People

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is falsely claiming that tens of millions of dead people over 100 years old are receiving Social Security payments. Over the past few days, President Donald Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk have said on social media and in press briefings that people who are 100, 200 and even 300 years old …

Elon Musk uncovers ‘biggest fraud in (US) history’: Is there any truth to it?
1 month, 1 week ago

Elon Musk uncovers ‘biggest fraud in (US) history’: Is there any truth to it?

Firstpost  

Elon Musk has alleged that millions of 150-year-olds are fraudulently receiving Social Security payments. The SSA’s inspector general previously identified $8 billion in improper payments in 2023, but experts argue that these errors do not equate to widespread fraud Billionaire entrepreneur and United States special government employee Elon Musk has once again turned heads with claims that his Department of …

Elon Musk uncovers ‘biggest fraud in (US) history’: Is there any truth to it?
1 month, 1 week ago

Elon Musk uncovers ‘biggest fraud in (US) history’: Is there any truth to it?

Firstpost  

Elon Musk has alleged that millions of 150-year-olds are fraudulently receiving Social Security payments. Musk first made these claims during an Oval Office press conference, stating a “cursory examination of Social Security” revealed “crazy things.” “We’ve got people in there that are 150 years old,” Musk said on February 11. The reality of Social Security fraud Despite Musk’s sweeping allegations, …

Elon Musk’s Risky Attack On Social Security
1 month, 1 week ago

Elon Musk’s Risky Attack On Social Security

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING WASHINGTON — Social Security is the electrified third rail of American politics, and now Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, and his band of 20-something acolytes are reaching for it. The Social Security Administration’s acting director resigned Sunday in the face of apparent demands for access to sensitive SSA information from Musk’s minions, according to the Washington …

Tens of millions of dead people aren’t getting Social Security checks, despite Trump and Musk claims
Trending News
1 month, 1 week ago

Tens of millions of dead people aren’t getting Social Security checks, despite Trump and Musk claims

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is falsely claiming that tens of millions of dead people over 100 years old are receiving Social Security payments. Over the past few days, President Donald Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk have said on social media and in press briefings that people who are 100, 200 and even 300 years old are improperly getting …

What DOGE could gain by accessing your Social Security data
1 month, 1 week ago

What DOGE could gain by accessing your Social Security data

CNN  

CNN — When people think of Social Security, they typically think of monthly benefits — for the roughly 69 million retirees, disabled workers, dependents and survivors who receive them today. But word that members of the Department of Government Efficiency is seeking access to the Social Security Administration’s data systems should conjure up thoughts of data on hundreds of millions …

Tens of millions of dead people aren’t getting Social Security checks, despite Trump and Musk claims
1 month, 1 week ago

Tens of millions of dead people aren’t getting Social Security checks, despite Trump and Musk claims

LA Times  

The Trump administration is falsely claiming that tens of millions of dead people older than 100 are receiving Social Security payments. On Tuesday, Trump said at a news briefing in Florida that “we have millions and millions of people over 100 years old” receiving Social Security benefits. Think about that for a second …” On Wednesday, Social Security’s new acting …

Trump and Musk set their sights on Social Security by spreading rumors
1 month, 1 week ago

Trump and Musk set their sights on Social Security by spreading rumors

CNN  

A version of this story appeared in CNN’s What Matters newsletter. On X, Musk said he was “100% certain that the magnitude of the fraud in federal entitlements exceeds the combined sum of every private scam you’ve ever heard by FAR.” Musk also posted a photo of a chart – it’s not clear where it comes from – that appears …

DOGE finds millions of instances of social security fraud
1 month, 1 week ago

DOGE finds millions of instances of social security fraud

Daily Mail  

Elon Musk today shared staggering data showing there are millions of dead Americans still eligible for social security payments. The Department of Health and Human Services agency is under fire from Musk for having on its records 60 million people more than the entire U.S. population, which means millions of people who are no longer alive – or possibly never …

No, 150-Year-Olds Aren't Collecting Social Security Benefits
55 years, 2 months ago

No, 150-Year-Olds Aren't Collecting Social Security Benefits

Wired  

Elon Musk has repeatedly claimed that his so-called Department of Government Efficiency project had uncovered massive government fraud when it alleged that 150-year-olds were claiming Social Security benefits. Musk first made the claims during his Oval Office press conference last week, when he claimed that a “cursory examination of Social Security, and we got people in there that are 150 …

DOGE finds millions of instances of social security fraud in database including a 360-year-old and 'vampires'
1 month, 1 week ago

DOGE finds millions of instances of social security fraud in database including a 360-year-old and 'vampires'

Daily Mail  

Elon Musk today shared staggering data showing there are millions of dead Americans still eligible for social security payments. Elon Musk revealed there are millions of people in the Social Security Administration database of U.S. citizens who are upwards of 100-years-old There is even one person in the database that is between the ages of 360 and 369, and another …

Elon Musk reacts to claim of 150-year-olds receiving social security: ’They should be in Guinness or probably dead’
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Elon Musk reacts to claim of 150-year-olds receiving social security: ’They should be in Guinness or probably dead’

Live Mint  

Elon Musk responds to the fact that people over 150 are now receiving Social Security. Although the US government's Social Security program is intended for the elderly and disabled, surviving to 150 is past the average human lifespan. "Anyone who is 150 years old and still receiving Social Security should be in the Guinness Book of World Records, or either …

Letters to the Editor: The left’s myth of the unequal Social Security tax
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Letters to the Editor: The left’s myth of the unequal Social Security tax

LA Times  

To the editor: Where is the inequality in Social Security? If a millionaire pays the exact same amount annually in Social Security taxes as someone making around $200,000, and they both receive exactly the same return, that is the definition of equality. It makes no difference if the millionaire makes his payment to Social Security in the first week of …

Column: The richest Americans finished paying their Social Security taxes last week. Most of us will pay all year
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Column: The richest Americans finished paying their Social Security taxes last week. Most of us will pay all year

LA Times  

Elon Musk: Has he paid his entire Social Security tax already — or will he owe nothing? Here are some rough calculations of when some of America’s richest individuals fulfilled their Social Security tax obligations for 2025: For Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook, it was at about 2 p.m. on New Year’s Day. “A civil engineer earning $176,100 per year …

Higher Social Security payments coming for millions of people from bill that Biden signed
Trending News
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Higher Social Security payments coming for millions of people from bill that Biden signed

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Sunday signed into law a measure that boosts Social Security payments for current and former public employees, affecting nearly 3 million people who receive pensions from their time as teachers, firefighters, police officers and in other public service jobs. The bill rescinds two provisions — the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset …

Millions to Get Bigger Social Security Checks If Biden Signs New Bill
3 months, 1 week ago

Millions to Get Bigger Social Security Checks If Biden Signs New Bill

Live Mint  

Millions of Americans may see their Social Security benefits increase under a bill headed to President Joe Biden’s desk — though critics warn that the measure comes at the cost of pushing the fund further toward insolvency. If signed by the president before the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3, the law would boost Social Security payments to more than …

Letters to the Editor: Righting a Social Security wrong — but for how long?
3 months, 1 week ago

Letters to the Editor: Righting a Social Security wrong — but for how long?

LA Times  

If the Senate passes a new law and President Biden signs it, some people doing without Social Security benefits would receive them. To the editor: If the U.S. Senate votes to pass the Social Security Fairness Act, it will be righting an egregious wrong inflicted on millions of hard-working people for way too long. We all know that the Social …

Here's what happens when the world's richest man buys the presidency
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Here's what happens when the world's richest man buys the presidency

Raw Story  

In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt created Social Security, an insurance contract between Americans and the federal government that pays out on certain life events. Trump’s GOP will be making “hard” choices, meaning they will be cutting benefits, in order to fund tax cuts for wealthy donors. Musk and Ramaswamy went to Capitol Hill last week to talk up their plans …

Trump promised he won't cut Social Security. Should you trust him?
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Trump promised he won't cut Social Security. Should you trust him?

LA Times  

Hello and happy Tuesday. “We know that the Social Security trust fund is going to run out of money, and that means something has to happen,” said Alan Auerbach, a professor of economics and law at UC Berkeley. Digging a deeper hole Despite that chilling reality, Trump’s only detailed plan on Social Security so far is one that would put …

Letters to the Editor: Social Security can be fixed easily, but it would upset the rich
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Letters to the Editor: Social Security can be fixed easily, but it would upset the rich

LA Times  

To the editor: The final votes from the 2024 election have barely been tallied, the inauguration is more than a month away, and President-elect Donald Trump’s close allies are already going after Social Security. This is how to fix Social Security’s insolvency problem: Everyone should pay the tax on all their income — no loopholes for the rich. Sen. Mike …

Column: GOP and Musk unveil a threat to Social Security
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Column: GOP and Musk unveil a threat to Social Security

LA Times  

You may have been tempted to believe Donald Trump when he swore, along with some of his Republican colleagues, to protect Social Security. They take ‘your money’” and use it for whatever the current Congress deems ‘necessary.’” And a fourth is to complain that the trust fund is mismanaged: “If you had put the same amount into literally ANYTHING else …

Column: Trump pledges not to cut Social Security. Here are the ways he could breach that promise
4 months ago

Column: Trump pledges not to cut Social Security. Here are the ways he could breach that promise

LA Times  

Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley explained to a congressional committee that the program’s caseload has expanded rapidly while staffing has hit a 50-year low. “There’s a very serious worry on the horizon,” Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley told Al Sharpton on MSNBC last weekend, “because Donald Trump’s policies would seriously reduce the fiscal health of Social Security. Let’s take a …

Experts: Analysis shows Trump proposal would "dramatically worsen Social Security’s finances"
5 months, 1 week ago

Experts: Analysis shows Trump proposal would "dramatically worsen Social Security’s finances"

Salon  

Social Security funds could run out in the next six years if former President Donald Trump wins in November, according to a new report from the bipartisan group Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Trump’s policies would add over $2.3 trillion to Social Security’s deficit between 2026 and 2033 and — and cause a 33% cut to benefits in 2035, …

Congress has just over a decade to fix Social Security before cash runs out
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Congress has just over a decade to fix Social Security before cash runs out

Daily Mail  

Social Security is expected to run short on funds by 2035, according to a new report. Social Security relies on its trust funds to provide monthly benefit checks to around 70 million Americans. While Martin O'Malley, Commissioner of Social Security, said this was 'good news' for beneficiaries, he urged Congress to take steps to 'extend the financial health of the …

Congress has less than a decade to fix Social Security before it runs short of cash
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Congress has less than a decade to fix Social Security before it runs short of cash

NPR  

Congress has less than a decade to fix Social Security before it runs short of cash Social Security benefits are facing an automatic cut in less than 10 years unless changes are adopted. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: We hear this from time to time, an assertion that Congress has only a few years to fix Social Security. With tens of millions …

Column: Social Security is again in the crosshairs of a GOP budget, even though a long-term fix would be simple
1 year ago

Column: Social Security is again in the crosshairs of a GOP budget, even though a long-term fix would be simple

LA Times  

House Speaker Mike Johnson : His caucus makes no secret about what it intends to do with government services, and it’s not pretty. That brings us to the Republican Study Committee’s prescriptions for Social Security and the other major benefit programs, Medicare and Medicaid. The committee members grouse about how Social Security has expanded since it was originally signed into …

How Trump ends Social Security
1 year ago

How Trump ends Social Security

Raw Story  

Want to end Social Security? … the reforms in the RSC Budget would not affect benefits for any senior in or near retirement…” READ: Two Trump legal lifelines are tilting Election 2024 in Donald's favor In other words: “the system is going broke and we’re going to gut it, but not for the older voters the GOP needs: we’ll just …

Column: An exhaustive debunking of the dumbest myths about Social Security
1 year, 4 months ago

Column: An exhaustive debunking of the dumbest myths about Social Security

LA Times  

Myths and canards about Social Security and its supposed fiscal troubles have steadily proliferated over the years. Slate paired Eric Boehm, a writer for the conservative magazine Reason, with a writer named Celeste Headlee for a dialogue titled “Social Security Doesn’t Make Sense Anymore.” The roughly 2,000-word piece contained so many misconceptions, inaccuracies, misrepresentations, and flat-out lies about the program …

Social Security Doesn’t Make Sense Anymore
1 year, 4 months ago

Social Security Doesn’t Make Sense Anymore

Slate  

This week, Congress approved a temporary government funding package, once again averting a potential shutdown, at least until next year. And unlike in the 1940s, these days, you’ve got retirees that are generally wealthier than the people who are funding their retirements through Social Security. It’s a question that nobody’s really asking in Congress, because we silo off Social Security …

Column: America’s retirement system is mediocre. The new House speaker wants to make it downright awful
1 year, 5 months ago

Column: America’s retirement system is mediocre. The new House speaker wants to make it downright awful

LA Times  

Back in my school days, a “C” grade was a certification of rank mediocrity. “The better pension systems around the world ensure that all workers are saving for their retirement,” David Knox, a Mercer senior partner who is lead author of this year’s pension index report, told me by email. Johnson’s disdain for the principles of Social Security and the …

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