Former President Joe Biden delivered a blistering critique of the Trump administration’s early moves in office, accusing it of undermining the Social Security Administration (SSA) and dismantling critical support systems for millions of Americans. Speaking Tuesday at the national conference of Advocates, Counselors and Representatives for the Disabled (ACRD) in Chicago, Biden painted a grim picture of what he characterized as reckless governance.
“In fewer than 100 days, this new administration has done so much damage and so much destruction,” Biden said during his keynote address. “They’ve taken a hatchet to the Social Security Administration. 7000 employees — including some of the most seasoned officials — are gone. And already, we’re seeing the effects.”
It was Biden’s first major public address since handing over the presidency to Donald Trump earlier this year. Though he avoided directly naming his successor, Biden leveled sharp criticism at the broader Republican agenda, accusing the administration of following a Silicon Valley-style ethos of disruption. “They’re following that old tech mantra: ‘Move fast and break things.’ Well, they’re certainly breaking things,” he said. “They’re shooting first and aiming later.”
The SSA has announced significant staffing cuts and is facing scrutiny over a controversial data-sharing initiative involving the Department of Government Efficiency, currently led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The department reportedly seeks access to millions of personal records stored in SSA databases, prompting legal challenges and privacy concerns.
Biden, who has long positioned himself as a defender of Social Security, framed the program as a “sacred promise” to American workers and retirees. He echoed former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley’s warning: “They want to wreck it so they can rob it.” O’Malley, who served as SSA commissioner under Biden, introduced the former president and presented him with the ACRD’s Beacon of Hope Award.
Injecting humor into an otherwise serious address, Biden mocked claims promoted by Trump and Musk that Social Security is being paid to individuals over 100 years old. “I want to meet those 300-year-old folks,” he joked. “I’d like to figure out how they lived that long.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded with a jab at Biden’s age, noting, “I’m shocked that he is speaking at nighttime.” Leavitt reaffirmed Trump’s commitment to protecting Social Security benefits for “law-abiding, taxpaying American citizens” and said the president would soon sign a directive to prevent ineligible individuals from receiving benefits.
