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Republicans want Musk to shut up about Social Security
The Hill ^ | March 20, 2025 | Alexander Bolton

Posted on 03/20/2025 6:39:51 AM PDT by Red Badger

Senate Republicans want Elon Musk to stop talking about Social Security, and the Department of Government Efficiency to leave it alone.

Musk’s statement that Social Security is a “Ponzi scheme,” and his plans to cut up to 12 percent of the Social Security Administration’s workforce, are giving GOP lawmakers heartburn.

They warn that Social Security reform is known as the “third rail” of politics for a reason: Any party that touches it is likely to get zapped come Election Day.

And Republicans fear that reductions in staff and field offices will boomerang on them, predicting constituents will grow frustrated if it becomes more difficult and time-consuming to address problems related to benefit claims.

“It doesn’t help the president when you have somebody who clearly is not worried about whether or not Social Security benefits are going to be there for him” leading the effort to shrink the Social Security Administration, said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), referring to Musk, the world’s richest person.

“It worries Americans all over the country,” she said of people who rely on Social Security benefits to live day to day. “This is why Social Security has been kind of viewed as the untouchable from a political perspective, and why the president made very clear we’re not dealing with Social Security.”

She said Musk’s claim that Social Security is a “Ponzi scheme” and rife with fraud “doesn’t do anything to calm the anxiety of people who are already anxious about what’s going on with some of the safety-net programs.”

Musk declared “Social Security is the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time” during a three-hour interview with Joe Rogan this month.

And Monday, he claimed without evidence that immigrants who are living in the country illegally are reaping fraudulent benefits from both Social Security and Medicare.

“By using entitlements fraud, the Democrats have been able to attract and retain vast numbers of illegal immigrants,” Musk said on Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) podcast, accusing Democrats of buying voters.

“Basically bring in 10 [million], 20 million people who are beholden to the Democrats for government handouts and will vote overwhelmingly Democrats, as has been demonstrated in California,” he said.

Several other Republican senators said Musk should stop talking about Social Security and steer his budget-cutting team at DOGE in a different direction.

“He should zip it on that. It’s not helpful. It plays right into Democrats’ hands; they want to talk about Social Security cuts, Medicare cuts, Medicaid cuts. We don’t. The president does not want to talk about that. He’s against all those things,” said a Republican senator who requested anonymity to voice frustration about Musk’s rhetoric on Social Security.

The senator said it would be OK to talk about cracking down on fraud in the system but warned “when you start making it sound like you’re questioning the foundation of the Social Security system, that’s not helpful.”

In an interview with Fox Business host Larry Kudlow earlier this month, Musk suggested that $500 billion to $700 billion in waste could be cut from federal entitlement programs.

“Most of the federal spending is entitlements,” he said. “That’s the big one to eliminate.”

Ross K. Baker, a professor of political science at Rutgers University, said Musk’s statements about Social Security are becoming a political liability for Republicans.

“Going after the United States Institute of Peace is one thing, going after Social Security is something entirely different. It’s really poking a stick into a hornet’s nest,” he said.

“The ironies of a person of such immense wealth targeting a program that provides a modest benefit to ordinary people as the worst possible aura about it,” he said.

Musk’s comments gave Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) something to talk about last week when Senate Democrats were deeply divided over a House-passed government funding bill.

Schumer last week repeatedly assailed Musk’s comments on Social Security and accused the Trump administration of harboring plans to cut the popular program.

“Elon Musk is saying it plainly: Republicans’ big goal is to ‘eliminate,’ his words, Social Security and Medicare benefits,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.

“Are Senate Republicans fine with the terrible things Elon Musk and DOGE are doing to Social Security? Do they agree with Mr. Musk that it’s one giant scam?” he asked.

The White House issued a press release last week in response to the controversy over Musk’s comments declaring: “The Trump Administration will not cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits.”

The latest belt-tightening move was announced Tuesday, when Leland Dudek, the Social Security Administration acting commissioner, announced the agency will require millions of recipients and applicants to visit field offices personally instead of calling in to resolve issues over the phone.

In addition, dozens of Social Security Administration field offices across the country are scheduled to close as part of a broader effort by DOGE to shrink the federal government’s footprint.

A second Republican senator who requested anonymity to comment on Musk’s focus on Social Security said DOGE should stay away from the programs, warning that cutting staff and field offices will likely impact beneficiaries, including thousands of seniors, across the country.

“This Congress — Republicans and Democrats — is not going to modify Social Security, it’s not going away. I guess Elon Musk is talking for Elon Musk, because he’s not talking for people in the Congress who have something to do with the future of Social Security,” the lawmaker said. “It’s part of our country and society, here to stay.”

The GOP senator acknowledged, however, Musk “is not going to be quiet,” despite the broad hope within the Republican conference that he would drop the topic.

The source said while “there are positions within every department and agency that ought to be looked at,” Musk’s shoot-from-the-hip approach toward cuts is causing concern on Capitol Hill and back at home.

“What needs to take place is analysis of the task, the mission, the goals, the outcome of what the department or agency is supposed to do, and then right-size the workforce. In some instances, it may mean more employees, if you did it right, and in lots of places it may mean some fewer,” the senator said.

Murkowski said the Social Security Administration is hard-pressed to meet Alaskans’ needs because it only has one field office in her state.

“Our challenge in Alaska is we are remote. We have fought to maintain a Social Security office, one office in the whole state,” she said. “We had to fight to get it back.

“Now, because of all the pressures on it in terms of demand, what you have is, people are no longer able to walk into the Social Security office. They have to call to get an appointment. The wait time then to get an appointment is really discouraging,” she said.

“It’s been really hard. When you suggest that we need to reduce the number of folks that are answering call lines, that are responding to congressional offices like ours, I can tell you it’s not going to go over well,” she warned.


TOPICS: Conspiracy; Government; Politics; Society
KEYWORDS: socialsecurity
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To: Red Badger

Perfect example of leftist confusion. “Ponzi Scheme” refers to the failure to fund social security, meaning Elon is saying sc should be protected.


41 posted on 03/20/2025 7:08:29 AM PDT by Williams (Thank God for the election of President Trump!)
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To: Red Badger

An article like this is encouraging. There must really be billions in SS fraud that can be eliminated, and the use of Murkowski as the source means no real Republican is publicly supporting continued fraud.

Musk has given a big picture view. To build credibility, we need to be hearing about that x number of specific cases of recipients over 100 years old were sampled, with y of them turning out to situations where someone else is collecting the money. Same with suspected illegals. The same old, “identify the problem, then never get around to specifics and charges” is unacceptable.


42 posted on 03/20/2025 7:09:29 AM PDT by Chewbarkah
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To: ComputerGuy

That’s the $64,000 question! The claim is that only those who pay in are able to draw actual Social Security.

However SSI is different, it is for people who don’t qualify for Social Security. I don’t know exactly how it works and when questions are asked the politicians and bureaucrats always insist SSI is different and not somehow funded by Social Security. I am not so sure. It’s a mystery for some reason.

I have heard that illegals somehow get SSI and or Medicaid, but that is denied too.


43 posted on 03/20/2025 7:10:56 AM PDT by Tammy8 ( )
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To: 1Old Pro

They to put it on a sound actuarial basis! Properly fund it!


44 posted on 03/20/2025 7:11:18 AM PDT by Reily (a)
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To: Red Badger

45 posted on 03/20/2025 7:12:28 AM PDT by Delta 21 (If anyone is treasonous, it is those who call me such.)
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To: Chewbarkah

How many millions of checks and direct deposits are made EACH MONTH to people who get ‘Crazy Checks’ as they are called in the ‘hood.

People or their minor children pretend to be autistic or ‘crazy’ to qualify for permanent disability checks from SS.

An adult son of former neighbor of ours where we used to live was getting 100% permanent disability checks from the SS because they claimed he had brain damage from huffing gasoline as a child.

There wasn’t a damn thing wrong with this guy. He rode motorcycles and had a job..................


46 posted on 03/20/2025 7:14:20 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: napscoordinator

“ It doesn’t matter. Apparently people like it. If we can win more seats by getting rid of social security then do it.”

Here’s how it matters-

Like all Ponzi schemes it has an end

To use tax revenue in a Ponzi scheme is the ultimate grift. When it does fall apart it looks like this- panicky uninformed dependent ignorant people not only freak out, but they have no survival skills no home economic skills


47 posted on 03/20/2025 7:18:16 AM PDT by stanne (Because they were mesmerized by Obama, the man for whom this was named, whose name they left out of )
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To: Red Badger

Murkowski and a communist profess from New Jersy? Is that the best they can do?


48 posted on 03/20/2025 7:25:17 AM PDT by jmaroneps37 (Freedom is never free. It must be won rewon and jealously guarded.)
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To: Red Badger

I agree with the posters here. I want Must to keep exposing the fraud and shut off the money laundering to Democrats wherever they find it. That includes SS.


49 posted on 03/20/2025 7:26:41 AM PDT by Enterprise ( These people have no honor, no belief, no poetry, no art, no humor, no patriotism.)
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To: 9YearLurker
This is the bizarro case where I agree with her. I’ve had a sr. friend ask me whether Trump will really cut SS, based on the news she’s seen on TV. Better to act than talk with something that can so easily be misrepresented by the other side before it is actually done.

Looking at the Musk quotes in this article, I only see comments that help save SSI for all its potential legal recipients.

No, Murky is completely wrong.

50 posted on 03/20/2025 7:27:12 AM PDT by FreeReign
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To: Red Badger

It’s my belief that Socialist security should be sunsetted.
Those that are paying in are being robbed of their money.
I believe that we should develop our resources on public lands to pay for those in the system but relieve future generations of the burden


51 posted on 03/20/2025 7:27:57 AM PDT by South Dakota (Vance / Trump...2028 )
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To: Red Badger

The first thing I ever agreed with her about.

I think they need to get obvious abuse stopped, paying dead people and things like that. Then they need to point out how much they saved, and how much longer the fund will kast thanks to them doing that. Then they need to move on to other things.

We all know Social Security needs a major overhaul or be replaced with something else. After the midterms are over then go back to Social Security issues. Touching Social Security or even suggesting it is toxic politically. That issue has huge coat tails against the whole party.

After the midterms, then hopefully some real progress can be made to fix or replace Social Security.


52 posted on 03/20/2025 7:28:52 AM PDT by Tammy8 ( )
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To: Red Badger

It’s The Hill.

I don’t believe the headline.


53 posted on 03/20/2025 7:29:02 AM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus)
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To: HYPOCRACY

The problem is the LOW information voters here some soundbite and they think that DOGE is going to take away their SS. Just like the DUMB A$$ES in my office were just talking about how Trump wants to eliminate the Department of Education. They here some sound bit even on Fox News. Then they vote in 2026 for the Democrat because of fear.

Almost ALL people vote with their wallet. IF they think that Trump/GOP/DOGE is going to take away or reduce their SS they will vote for the Dems in the midterms.


54 posted on 03/20/2025 7:29:08 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: Red Badger

I’m not for altogether not talking about SS, especially in the fraud arena. Outrageously old recipients and the like need to be found and verified. Basically the caveat could be for this is that we’re only looking for non living recipents,


55 posted on 03/20/2025 7:29:57 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: SGCOS

Eliminate is the only option I want. They make loads off our money to give us back a small % of what they took.


56 posted on 03/20/2025 7:29:58 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: HYPOCRACY

Speaking of DUMB A$$ES.

Here should be hear.
Maybe I should proof read my posts first. :)


57 posted on 03/20/2025 7:31:14 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: AZJeep
Yes, Musk is not really that good with talking. Some stuff should be done “politically”. Let do the talking to others.

No, Musk's word do not threaten legal SSI recipients. The solution is NOT to shut up. The solution is to speak the truth more.

58 posted on 03/20/2025 7:31:31 AM PDT by FreeReign
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To: Red Badger

TDS Alexander Bolton quotes murky in The Shill. do better next time.


59 posted on 03/20/2025 7:32:27 AM PDT by StAnDeliver (TrumpII)
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To: Enterprise

Dang. MUSK!


60 posted on 03/20/2025 7:32:46 AM PDT by Enterprise ( These people have no honor, no belief, no poetry, no art, no humor, no patriotism.)
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