Rebecca Schneid
Since President Donald Trump has returned to the White House, a core focus of his presidency has been to eliminate waste in the federal government, an effort spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), under the watchful eye of Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Several departments and agencies have been subjected to major funding cuts and mass layoffs. Meanwhile, the Department of Education faces the potential of being dismantled entirely.
However, one agency that has been the subject of mixed messages from the Trump Administration is Social Security—a program which sends retirement and disability benefits to over 70 million people through the Social Security Administration (SSA). In the fiscal year of 2024, over 20% of the federal budget was spent on Social Security, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
From a messaging standpoint, Trump has maintained that he will not touch Social Security—while some cabinet members have cast doubt on whether or not those who receive Social Security benefits should be concerned. At the same time, reports of planned DOGE-driven cuts and office closures at the agency have led experts to wonder whether the SSA will have the staff required to ensure the checks are counted and delivered on time.
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