Trump Is Trying To Undermine Confidence In Social Security

The following is a post by Jen Psaki at MSNBC.com:

If you watched Donald Trump’s joint address on Tuesday night, you might have caught his latest tall tale about Social Security fraudand the millions of deceased Americans collecting checks every year.

Trump alleged nearly 16 million people over the age of 100 have been receiving Social Security payments, including 130,000 supposedly over 160 years old, and even “one person listed at 360.”

The truth? The people Trump referenced aren’t receiving checks — they’re simply still in the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) database. This is a known issue, flagged repeatedly by inspectors general, but fixing the records would cost millions. And critically, it has nothing to do with benefits actually being paid out.

Here’s what the real numbers show:

• According to the SSA’s former inspector general, just 0.84% of benefits from 2015 to 2022 were improper. Most of those were overpayments to existing recipients — not checks sent to the deceased or ineligible.
• In December 2024, as one look at the SSA’s beneficiaries chart will show you, just 89,106 people over age 99 received Social Security retirement benefits — not the nearly 16 million Trump claimed.

But this isn’t just another case of Trump stating incorrect facts. We’ve seen this playbook before. Just as Trump worked to sow doubt about the legitimacy of an election, he’s now trying to undermine confidence in Social Security — suggesting it’s corrupt, mismanaged and in need of drastic intervention.

Here are some real facts about Social Security: as highlighted by former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley, the Social Security Administration has never missed a benefit payment in its existence; over 73 million people depend on those payments; and 66% of Republicans believe Social Security needs more funding.

The question is: Will Democrats meet this moment? Trump may be underestimating just how much Americans — Republicans and Democrats alike — value this program. After all, Social Security isn’t just a policy issue. It’s a lifeline. And it’s an argument I hope Democrats put some real money behind.