Biden re-emerges to defend Social Security as Trump cuts agency staff
3 Min Read
In his first major speech since leaving office, Joe Biden criticized Trump’s drastic cuts to the Social Security Administration, led by Elon Musk’s agency, warning of service disruptions.
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Former US President Joe Biden speaks at the Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled conference in Chicago on April 15, 2025. (AP)
US Democratic former President Joe Biden delivered his first major speech on Tuesday since leaving office in January, speaking out in defense of the Social Security Administration amid staffing cuts and office closures under the Trump administration.
Addressing disability advocates in Chicago, Biden’s speech signaled a significant return to the political spotlight as President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, led by tech billionaire Elon Musk, implements sweeping reductions to the federal workforce.
Biden said the Trump administration has "taken a hatchet" to the agency, adding, "This new administration has done so much damage and so much destruction,” as he called Social Security "more than a government program."
"It's a sacred promise we made as a nation. We know just how much Social Security matters to people's lives."
The Social Security Administration pays out $1.4 trillion yearly to 73 million Americans, even as Trump-era reforms led by the Department of Government Efficiency aim to cut 7,000 jobs and shutter offices, raising fears of service delays and benefit disruptions.
Democrats show reservations
In March, a federal judge halted data-sharing after ruling the SSA likely violated privacy laws by giving Elon Musk's team broad access to millions of Americans’ records.
"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. He will always protect that program," Karoline Leavitt, Trump's press secretary, told reporters before Biden's speech
Biden pointed to a recent spike in crashes of the agency's computer systems, highlighting the impact of widespread layoffs and resignations within the SSA’s IT departments.
"People can't sign on to their accounts,” Biden said. “Who in the hell do they think they are?” he said of the Trump administration.
Some Democrats expressed reservations about Biden’s return to the spotlight, with strategist Karen Finney noting concerns that his speech could shift attention away from the political and economic backlash Trump is facing over his trade war with China and new tariffs.
“We are finally beginning to see cracks in the armor in terms of Trump’s policies,” Finney said. “You don’t want to become a lightning rod that distracts from Trump. And it could make it easy for Trump to change the subject to Biden.”
