On March 9, 2025, on Fox News’s Maria Bartiromo’s show “Sunday Morning Futures,” Trump said: “I’m not going to touch Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. We’re going to get fraud out of there.” (Source: https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-social-security-medicaid-update-2042024) Our hero!
Except, according to Jacob Leibenluft et al., “Social Security is highly accurate and efficient — with a payment accuracy rate of 99.7 percent and administrative costs of only 0.5 percent — and has successfully paid benefits for over 85 years. After years of underfunding, SSA needs more staff — not fewer — to give the nation’s retirees and people with disabilities the service they deserve.” (Source: https://www.cbpp.org/research/social-security/trump-administration-doge-activities-risk-ssa-operations-and-security-of)
Except, on January 24, 2025, Trump fired Hannibal “Mike” Ware, the acting Inspector General for the Social Security Administration (SSA), who is the person who is supposed to get fraud out of the SSA.
Except, Trump’s campaign promises, like eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits and specific income types, would deplete the Social Security Trust Fund by up to $2.3 trillion, leading to insolvency by 2031 and requiring dramatic cuts to benefits. (Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/teresaghilarducci/2024/10/21/trumps-plans-would-undermine-social-security-by-23-trillion/)
Except, effective January 31, 2025, the SSA has removed references to gender identity and halted the processing of gender marker changes in people’s Social Security records, which discriminates against transgender individuals.
Except, on February 17, 2025, Acting SSA Commissioner Michelle King stepped down after refusing to grant DOGE team members access to the Social Security database, which contains highly sensitive information.
Except, on February 18, 2025, the DOGE tweeners went fishing in the SSA data without supervision and without providing information about the purpose of their work. On March 20, 2025, Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander issued a temporary restraining order to stop DOGE from getting access to personally identifiable information from the Social Security Administration.
Except, Interim SSA Commissioner Lee Dudek threatened to close the agency over the judge’s ruling before backing down.
Except, the House Budget Resolution, passed on February 25, 2025, calls for the Energy and Commerce Committee to cut at least $880 billion, an impossible figure unless there were cuts to Medicaid and perhaps Social Security. (Source: https://www.cbpp.org/press/statements/house-budget-would-increase-costs-and-hardship-for-many-while-providing-huge-tax)
Except, on February 28, 2025, it was announced the SSA would undergo a massive restructuring by eliminating six of its 10 regional offices. (Source: https://blog.ssa.gov/social-security-announces-workforce-and-organization-plans/)
Except, also on February 28, 2025, in an interview with Joe Rogan, Elon Musk said, “Social Security is the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.” (Source: https://www.happyscribe.com/public/the-joe-rogan-experience/2281-elon-musk) Despite Trump’s promises, Musk wants to cut Social Security because that is where the money is. While adjustments to the program are necessary, such as removing the wage limit for Social Security tax (capped at $176,100 in 2025) and implementing an annual tax on total wealth above a certain level, cutting benefits is not an answer.
Except, on February 28, 2025 it was reported that over two dozen senior SSA leaders were leaving. (Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-28/social-security-shake-up-sees-at-least-two-dozen-officials-leave?embedded-checkout=true)
Except, we hear various conflicting reports about cuts to the SSA telephone service. Finally, on March 13, 2025, a Social Security memo confirmed that identity verification will no longer be possible via telephone. As Emily Peck writes, the memo “acknowledges that ‘Service Disruption’ and ‘Operational Strain’ is ‘a risk and challenge’ of implementing this plan. There would be ‘increased field office traffic, longer call-wait times and delayed processing,’ [SSA official] Doris Diaz writes. The agency is already plagued by long call-wait times and delayed processing.” (Source: https://www.axios.com/2025/03/17/social-security-trump-doge) Of course, yesterday, March 27, 2025, the SSA announced that some of the telephone restrictions set to take place on March 31, 2025, would be delayed until April 14, 2025. The current call wait times are already very long. One person, as an example, waited 2 hours and 48 minutes to get their telephone call answered.
Except, on March 26, 2025, Frank Bisignano was grilled in a confirmation hearing by the Senate Finance Committee. His affect was bland. His answers were congenial but lacked conviction. It is doubtful that he would do anything to save Social Security.
Except, the Social Security Administration isn’t plagued by waste, fraud, and abuse; it is plagued by being understaffed for years and by relying heavily on COBOL, a legacy programming language, for its core computer workloads, including processing retirement and disability claims. As SSA programmers retire, fewer people can work with the system, which needs a complete overhaul. Rather than making cuts, dramatic investments in the SSA are necessary.
Except, DOGE has announced that 47 SSA offices located in 18 states will be closed. (Source: https://www.newsweek.com/list-social-security-offices-expected-close-2025-2047841)
Except, plans have been announced to cut 7,000 people or over 12% of its 57,000 workforce despite being at a 50-year staffing low. (Source: https://time.com/7271888/social-security-under-trump-administration-elon-musk-concerns/)
The future of Social Security is at risk. The cumulative effect of these actions threatens to cripple the SSA, leading to systemic failures in service and support. This “death by a thousand cuts” may not only collapse the agency but also serve as justification for privatizing Social Security. Instead of allowing DOGE to undermine the program, policymakers should focus on sustainable reforms to ensure its longevity and reliability for future generations.
We must remain vigilant and advocate for responsible policies to safeguard Social Security. The program has been a bedrock of economic security for millions, and ensuring its solvency is a national priority. Trump is two-faced on this issue, and Americans of all ages must go into the streets to defend Social Security—baby strollers to wheelchairs.
Time left to January 20, 2029: 1,395 days
