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In a rare public appearance, former President Joe Biden issued a stark warning Tuesday that President Donald Trump is dismantling Social Security, accusing his successor of inflicting “breathtaking” damage in under 100 days.
“They’ve taken a hatchet to the Social Security Administration,” Biden said at a Social Security advocacy conference in Chicago, marking his first major national speech since leaving office.
The former president spoke on what Democrats dubbed a “Social Security Day of Action,” a coordinated push to highlight Republican efforts they say threaten the long-standing government program. The event focused on Trump’s layoffs, data-sharing controversies, and tightening of identity verification protocols that have caused benefit disruptions for many of the 70 million Americans who rely on Social Security.
Trump’s SSA Overhaul Sparks Backlash
Biden’s remarks follow widespread concern over Trump’s restructuring of the Social Security Administration (SSA), which includes:
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Layoffs of 7,000 federal workers, impacting agency responsiveness
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Disruptions to the “my Social Security” online portal, leading to benefit confusion
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Lawsuits over access granted to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, involving citizens’ private SSA data
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A new presidential memorandum to bar “illegal aliens and ineligible individuals” from accessing benefits and ramp up fraud prosecutions
Musk, now a senior Trump adviser, has called Social Security a “Ponzi scheme”, intensifying criticism that the administration is hostile toward the program’s very existence.
“They want to wreck it so they can rob it,” Biden said. “Why? To give tax cuts to billionaires and big corporations.”
Biden Draws Fire — and Support
The 82-year-old ex-president spoke for under 30 minutes, mostly sticking to prepared remarks but occasionally digressing into stories about growing up in a working-class family. At one point, he noted the country’s divisions, remarking that “30%… has no heart,” prompting backlash from conservatives who took it as a slight against Trump supporters.
Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt mocked Biden’s appearance, saying, “I’m shocked he’s speaking at nighttime,” and noted that Trump would sign a memo later that day targeting Social Security fraud.
The SSA itself responded sharply on its official X account, accusing Biden of “lying to Americans” about the administration’s intentions.
Still, Biden’s comments resonated with disability rights advocates, including attorney Jason Turkish, who said his 32,000 clients are deeply anxious about SSA instability. “There’s always been a belief that Social Security is just something we do not touch,” Turkish said.
Democratic Reactions Mixed
While House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries welcomed Biden’s voice, calling it “an all hands on deck moment,” some on the left were less enthusiastic. Progressive activist Norman Solomon argued Biden should remain out of the spotlight.
“His self-centered mentality has already done so much damage to the Democratic Party and the country,” Solomon said.
Biden’s approval ratings remain low, with a Gallup poll in January showing only 39% of Americans held a favorable opinion. His disastrous debate performance led him to end his reelection campaign, paving the way for Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in the fall.
