Fellow Democrat,

Despite prior public assurances from President Donald Trump that Social Security will remain untouched, a series of statements, policy actions, and administrative changes under his influence - often amplified by Elon Musk and government agencies like the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) - paint a different picture. These actions have led to significant disruptions in the Social Security Administration (SSA), cuts in staffing and services, misleading claims, and harmful proposals that threaten the stability and accessibility of this vital program.

Key Claims and Actions from Trump, Musk, and DOGE

Trump publicly stated he would not alter Social Security.
Elon Musk referred to Social Security as a “Ponzi scheme.”
Trump falsely claimed that over 6 million people aged 100+ are collecting Social Security benefits.
DOGE falsely asserted that children are improperly collecting Social Security.
Musk claimed over $500 billion in “wasteful” SSA spending, suggesting that program cuts wouldn’t harm actual beneficiaries.
SSA has terminated 7,000 staff members and is planning further layoffs under orders from "U.S. DOGE Services" to meet Trump’s objective of shrinking federal agencies (per The Washington Post).
SSA announced the phase-out of phone support (as of April 14) for filing benefits or changing direct deposit information.

The Truth About Social Security and Its Beneficiaries

More than 71 million people receive Social Security benefits.
In Massachusetts alone, nearly 1.3 million residents depend on Social Security.
Only about 89,000 people aged 99 and older are receiving legitimate benefits - nowhere near Trump’s exaggerated claim.
The GAO (Government Accountability Office) found no evidence of widespread fraud or millions of dead people receiving benefits.
Minor children of deceased or disabled Social Security beneficiaries may legally collect benefits until they reach adulthood.
The SSA is funded by payroll taxes paid by both workers and employers - not through general government revenue.
SSA staffing levels are currently at a 50-year low, resulting in longer lines and phone wait times, and widespread website outages are impacting people’s ability to file claims or access benefits.
Roughly 40% of seniors rely on Social Security as their sole source of income.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a billionaire, insulted beneficiaries by calling those who complain about delays “fraudsters.”
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has launched a special office to address Social Security-related issues.
Senate Republicans blocked Senator Ed Markey’s amendment to protect Social Security’s phone service infrastructure.
Constantly changing information and outages have created chaos and confusion for beneficiaries.
According to Jim Roosevelt in the Boston Globe (March 31), these deliberate staff cuts and office closures “are intended to make it harder for people to get their earned benefits.”

Disturbing Developments Involving Immigrants and SSA Databases

DOGE has mislabeled over 6,000 living immigrants as deceased, causing major financial and legal hardship.
This includes loss of the ability to legally work, inability to receive benefits, blocked access to credit and banking systems that require an active Social Security number
This directive reportedly came from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The list of affected individuals has been added to the Social Security Death Master File, now renamed the “Ineligible File” by DOGE.
DHS officials have openly stated that this move is designed to pressure immigrants to “self-deport.”
When Greg Pearce, former SSA IT chief, resisted this illegal maneuver, he was escorted out of his office.
Former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley warns: “If they can, contrary to the law and every regulation and without any due process, mark people inside SSA’s database dead... then they can do that to anybody.”