When the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was chastised for utilizing Social Security Administration (SSA) data, Elon Musk responded. President Donald Trump appointed Musk to lead the DOGE, which is not an official government agency. His job is to look into ways to reduce government spending and streamline government operations.
However, some MPs and government officials have questioned the task’s methodology, as well as DOGE’s access to personal information and government payment systems. This includes Michelle King, the acting Social Security Commissioner, who resigned over the weekend.
Elon Musk speaks out and clarifies Social Security cuts
Musk attempted to appease those who had objected to his criticisms of Social Security benefits, which he claimed were going to certain recipients who were classified as hundreds of years old, by posting on X, formerly Twitter.
Having tens of millions of people listed as “ALIVE” in Social Security when they are clearly deceased is a HUGE concern, he wrote in his most recent entry on the subject on February 17. Clearly. Some of these people would have existed prior to the founding of the United States. Consider this for a moment.
John Fetterman, a Democratic congressman, had posted something critical of DOGE’s access to government data, to which he responded. Speaking to President Trump from the Oval Office last week, Musk initially claimed that people who appear to have died are claiming benefits.
According to him, DOGE conducted a quick review of Social Security and discovered individuals who were 150 years of age or older. Other posts precede Musk’s most recent remarks. He provided a spreadsheet with the death field set to FALSE that showed the number of people in each age group earlier on Monday.
It is worth noting that 46 million people are between the ages of 60 and 69, at which point they are eligible for retirement benefits. It also includes nearly 10 million people over the age of 100, including one who is 360-369 years old.
According to Newsweek, the total number of beneficiaries paid by the Social Security Administration (SSA) each month, which was around 73 million in January of this year, is significantly lower than the figures provided.
Furthermore, it exceeds the number of people living in the United States, which was around 341 million at the time of the most recent census in 2020.
According to the Pew Research Center, there are approximately 100,000 centenarians in the United States, with none older than 114. Musk’s comments about deceased people filing for Social Security follow numerous allegations of “fraud” in government agencies that distribute benefits.
Musk also stated this week on X that he is confident that the extent of fraud in federal programs (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare, Disability, and so on) exceeds the total of all private scams FAR has ever heard of.
Some Americans have raised concerns about Musk’s involvement and impact on Social Security
Musk has received a lot of criticism for his recent actions on the SSA, particularly from Democratic senators and organizations that support Social Security.
Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, accused DOGE of conducting illegal raids on federal agencies during a rally outside the SSA offices in Washington, D.C., attended by SSA recipients and other members of Congress.
However, Elon Musk expressed his love for the people and the need to address the country’s bankruptcies caused by waste and fraud, stating that he is under intense scrutiny and has no incentive to avoid it.
On the other hand, Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman questioned Elon Musk’s DOGE access to personal data, claiming that Musk’s goal is to save billions of dollars and improve government efficiency, but that chaos always leads to a loss.
