Democrats are rallying around protecting Social Security against the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency as the party works to win back voters lost in 2024.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin, and former Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’Malley blasted the Trump administration for betraying campaign promises not to gut Social Security and pledged to talk about the matter at town halls across the nation.
Elon Musk‘s DOGE has made overtures about shrinking the agency, despite President Donald Trump’s past vows that it would not be subject to cuts, to the consternation of Democrats.
“When you say … what are we fighting for? We’re fighting with you because we stand with you. We are a part of you, and it is so important for you to understand that we will make sure that every American, every organization, every group know that this is unacceptable to Democrats,” Beatty said during a press call Monday.
“And we want you to know that the DNC will be doing this, not just today with this webinar, we will be crisscrossing this country with town halls, we will be doing tours because we are serious,” she continued.
The call came after Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) conceded during an interview over the weekend that Republicans are “not being honest” about plans to cut Social Security when asked about Musk referring to the program as a “Ponzi scheme.”
“I wouldn’t use those words, but we’re not being honest either with people, and that’s why you’ll actually see me in a couple of months introduce a change to Social Security,” Curtis said. “We’re not being honest when we look people in the eye and say we’re not going to touch it. If we don’t touch, it touches itself.”
Democrats are hoping that by attacking Republicans over Social Security, they can regain public support amid record-low favorability ratings for the party.
Malley added that the town halls he recently participated in are likely rejuvenating voters who are afraid of losing Social Security benefits.
“I’ve done about eight town halls, mostly all across Florida in the last 10 days, and I can tell you that democracy is waking up to this very, very real threat that they are coming for Social Security,” he said.
“Because I shared with these … crowds and over the airwaves that this needs to be the Bunker Hill upon which we are willing to fight and die as Democrats,” Martin continued. “There is no more important program in America, no greater act of compassion and caring that a free people have ever put into law for one another, than Social Security.”
Musk has promoted unproven theories about millions of dead people over the age of 100 still benefiting from Social Security and said entitlements contribute a large portion of federal spending, which he is aiming to slash.
Polls from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research last month showed that 67% of American adults said the government spends too little on Social Security, only 6% said it spends too much, and 26% said it spends about the right amount.
“Trump and Musk know that Americans didn’t vote for Social Security cuts. They know that Republicans don’t have the votes in Congress to cut Social Security benefits,” said Warren. “So they are attacking Social Security through the back door. By making it harder and harder for people to collect the benefits they are legally entitled to.”
The Massachusetts senator also blasted the Trump administration over alleged attempts to change its phone service by barring people from verifying their identity over the phone, a move that would create hurdles for seniors in rural areas especially.
Warren, along with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), wrote a letter to Social Security commissioner nominee Frank Bisignano, whose confirmation hearing is set for Tuesday. The letter questioned Bisignano about possibly privatizing Social Security. The two lawmakers are members of the Senate Finance Committee.
However, Musk isn’t the only Trump official who has raised concerns about Social Security.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a billionaire, said many people wouldn’t complain if they missed a Social Security check.
“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,” Howard said in a conversation with Chamath Palihapitiya, the billionaire host of the All In podcast.
Several Democrats on the call derisively blasted Musk as Trump’s co-president during the call.
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“Trump has empowered his shadow president, Elon Musk, to, as Musk has literally said, eliminate Social Security. Folks are not just saying the quiet part out loud. They’re yelling it from the rooftops,” said Martin.
“We’ve worked our entire lives to own what we have,” said Darlene Jones, who discussed the impact Social Security cuts would have on her family. “President Trump and shadow president Musk have to be stopped before they harm seniors, especially those in rural America.”
