President Trump talked concerning the many cuts made by DOGE, which is led by billionaire Elon Musk, who “didn’t need this,” Trump stated.
President Donald Trump stated his administration is investigating what he described as “shocking levels of incompetence and probable fraud” within the nation’s Social Safety program, throughout his deal with to Congress on Tuesday.
Trump pointed to authorities databases itemizing hundreds of thousands of Social Safety recipients which are over 100 years outdated, a few of whom are reportedly “over 160 years old.” He additionally claimed one one that was allegedly 360 years outdated was listed within the database.
“We have a healthier country than I thought,” Trump quipped, nodding to Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.
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“Money is being paid to many of them,” he added, noting that this concern “really hurts Social Security and harms our country.”
The Social Safety Administration is capping clawbacks to 10% of advantages checks as a substitute of 100%. (iStock / iStock)
The feedback come after billionaire Elon Musk, additionally in attendance on Tuesday, claimed {that a} preliminary overview of Social Safety information by the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) discovered proof that the protection internet program is paying advantages to 150-year-olds.
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Musk additionally posted an image of a spreadsheet he stated was from the Social Safety database displaying the numbers of individuals in every age bucket with the dying discipline set to false. It confirmed greater than 17 million such information for individuals over the age of 100.
Elon Musk is seen within the U.S. Capitol after a gathering with Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., whereas on the Hill to speak about President-elect Donald Trump’s Division of Authorities Effectivity on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (om Williams/CQ-Roll Name, Inc through Getty Photos / Getty Photos)
After DOGE, which goals to eradicate $2 trillion in wasteful authorities spending, gained entry to the Social Safety Administration’s (SSA) inside techniques, a Treasury Division official advised Congress that the tech govt would have “read-only access” to the federal government’s cost system, emphasizing that the company stays dedicated to safeguarding the system.
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In 2015, the SSA and its inspector common seemed into the variety of individuals within the system with no dying document who had been listed as being over the age of 112. SSA discovered 6.5 million quantity holders aged 112 or older with no dying info within the system, however famous that different information instructed nearly all of them had been deceased.
Of these, SSA issued funds to 266 quantity holders — although the IG’s overview indicated solely 13 beneficiaries had been seemingly age 112 or older, whereas within the remaining 253 circumstances there have been discrepancies in SSA’s information that indicated the beneficiary wasn’t really that outdated.
FOX Enterprise’ Eric Revell and Landon Mion contributed to the report.