'Social Security will be gone if...': Trump celebrates Social Security's 90th anniversary, makes big claim
Marking Social Security's 90th anniversary, President Trump touted his administration's efforts to bolster the program, citing tax law changes and the removal of ineligible recipients. However, reports suggest a different reality, with staffing cuts and concerns about the program's long-term stability. Trump claimed that he strengthened social security program but the agency looks more threatened than ever, as per report.
AP
On Thursday, Trump said he saved the program. "Under Biden, Social Security went down like nobody's ever seen."
US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation marking the 90th anniversary of the establishment of Social Security Thursday, where he boasted about changes in his recent tax law aimed at providing relief to seniors. Among other things, the 79-year-old Republican announced that his administration has 'kicked out' as many as 275,000 illegal immigrants out of the program. He further added that about 2.4 million names, over 120 years old, were removed from the database.While President Trump promoted the program's improvements under his leadership, rpeorts from inside the agency paint a complete different picture. Social Security advocates are questioning whether the administration may be weighing changes to the popular program that would be harmful to its long-term success, according to news agency AP.'On the 90th anniversary of the establishment of this historic program, I recommit to always defending Social Security, rewarding the men and women who make our country prosperous, and taking care of our own workers, families, seniors and citizens first,' Trump said in the Oval Office.
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Social Security "looks more threatened than ever," reports AP. Tens of millions of Americans rely on Social Security benefits to make ends meet, and polling suggests it is the most popular government policy. On Thursday, Trump said he saved the program. "Under Biden, Social Security went down like nobody's ever seen."
"By massively improving the customer service experience through technological improvements, preventing illegal aliens from accessing benefits, and delivering no taxes on Social Security through the One Big Beautiful Bill — President Trump has Made Social Security Great Again," White House spokesperson Liz Huston said in a statement."You keep hearing stories that in six years, seven years, Social Security will be gone, and it will be if the Democrats ever get involved, because they don't know what they're doing, but it's going to be around a long time with us," Trump said Thursday.
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The Social Security Administration (SSA) lost thousands of employees this year, including senior executives with deep understanding of how the program works. The Strategic Organizing Center reports that the field offices, Social Security's "front door" where the public goes for help to sign up for benefits, getting cards, etc., are facing a staffing crisis.
SSA offices have seen about a 20% drop in staff this year, factoring in employees reassigned to handle phone lines, according to Axios' count. Workers told Axios they're feeling the pressure as understaffing takes its toll.
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The president touted his 'big, beautiful' tax law enacted last month as paving the way for the 'largest tax break for seniors in the history of our country,' while lauding efforts in his administration to root out 'fraud, waste and abuse.''You reported it all the time. In four or five years, it's going to go bust, but not anymore, it's not,' he claimed to reporters, while also boasting efforts in the administration aimed at finding 'tremendous fraud, where we have illegal aliens.' But recent analysis from the Trump administration's chief actuary for the program projected the president's recent tax and spending megabill could speed up insolvency for Social Security's trust funds, which could start seeing lower levels of tax revenue of benefits starting this year.
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With the recent tax changes, the Office of the Chief Actuary at the Social Security Administration projected depletion of the combined Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) and Disability Insurance (DI) trust funds will accelerate from the third quarter of 2034 under the recent board of trustees' report baseline to the first quarter of 2034.Trump's comments come as his administration's plans to significantly reduce the agency's workforce and increased rhetoric about eliminating 'billions of dollars' in fraud in the program have drawn much public attention in recent months.
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