Joe Biden accused President Donald Trump of “taking a hatchet” to the Social Security Administration during a Tuesday speech that was the first appearance of the former president on the national stage in four months since he left the White House.
Biden, speaking to a convention of disability advocates in Chicago, contended the Trump administration’s reductions guided by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency have threatened the future of Social Security for millions of seniors and disabled Americans who rely on it.
“In less than 100 days, this new government has done so much harm and so much damage,” Biden said. “It’s just kind of breathtaking it can occur that quickly. They’ve used a hatchet to the Social Security Administration.”
It was Biden’s first major address since departing the White House in January. Biden, despite his critique of Trump, did not mention the president by name during the nearly 30-minute speech.
Biden referred to reductions of 7,000 workers to date to the workforce of the Social Security Administration, supplementing that the administration is “getting ready to push thousands more out of the door.” The administration’s layoffs to the agency’s IT division have caused its web site to crash, he said.
“You’ve got to ask yourself: Why is this happening?” Biden said. “Why are these guys taking aim at Social Security now? Well, they’re following that old line from tech startups. The quote is, ‘Move fast. Break things.’ They’re certainly breaking things. They’re shooting first and aiming later. The result is a lot of needless pain and sleepless nights.”
Biden added: “They want to wreck it so they can rob it.”
Biden’s remarks came as Democrats have seized on layoffs and upheaval at the Social Security Administration to fight Trump’s efforts to dramatically downsize the federal government through the Musk-led DOGE, which has pushed widespread federal cuts and job reductions.
“A Ponzi scheme?” Biden said, singling out remarks Musk recently made about Social Security. “What the hell are they talking about? People earn these benefits. They paid into that benefit. They rely on that benefit.”
Biden also ridiculed baseless assertions made by Musk and Trump that deceased Americans 300 and 200 years old are getting Social Security benefits.
“By the way, those 300-year-old people getting that Social Security – I’d like to meet him because I’d like to try to understand how they live so long. Hell of a thing, man. I’m seeking longevity because it’s hell when you turn 40,” Biden said.
Ahead of his speech, Biden was honored by the organization ‒ Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled ‒ with its “Beacon of Hope” award.
“Social Security is about more than retirement accounts. It’s about honoring a fundamental trust between government and people. It’s about peace of mind for those who work their whole lives,” Biden said, calling the Franklin D. Roosevelt-era program “a sacred promise.” Martin O’Malley, who served as Social Security administrator under Biden, introduced the former president, arguing the Trump administration has “wiped out” progress made during the Biden administration to improve Social Security’s customer service and reduce wait lines at centers.
Since departing the White House in January, Biden has kept a relatively low public profile. Biden’s first post-presidency public speech came in March at the conference for the National High School Model United Nations in New York. The engagement received little media attention.
Biden’s role in the Democratic Party remains unclear as the party looks for new, younger voices to make the case against Trump. Biden finished his one term in the White House with low-approval ratings and facing second-guessing from fellow Democrats about his late decision to end his 2024 reelection, a move some Democrats blame for Trump’s victory over Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
At one point in his remarks, Biden lamented the fierce divisions in Washington in the Trump era. “I’ve been doing this a long time. It’s never been this divided. Granted, it’s roughly 30%, but it’s a 30% that has no heart,” Biden said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt took a jab at the 82-year-old Biden ahead of his remarks. “I’m shocked that he is speaking at night time. I thought his bedtime was much earlier than his speech tonight,” Leavitt told reporters.
Trump has routinely called Biden “the worst president in the history of the United States,” including during his joint address to Congress in March.
Leavitt said Trump planned to sign a presidential memorandum Tuesday aimed at “stopping illegal aliens and other ineligible people from obtaining Social Security Act benefits.” Individuals in the U.S. unlawfully are not eligible for Social Security, but the Trump administration has accused them of still receiving benefits from the program.
Leavitt said Trump’s action will expand the Social Security Administration’s fraud prosecutor program to at least 50 U.S. attorney offices. She also said he will require the Social Security Administration’s inspector general to investigate individuals 100 or older with Social Security numbers and will direct the agency to consider reinstating civil monetary penalties against people who commit Social Security fraud.
“President Trump is absolutely certain about protecting Social Security benefits for law-abiding, tax paying American citizens and seniors who have paid into this program,” Leavitt said. “He will always protect that program.”
