President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE have recently intensified their claims regarding Social Security fraud. Speaking at a press briefing in Florida on Tuesday, Trump asserted that “millions and millions” of centenarians were receiving Social Security payments, labeling the situation as “fraudulent or incompetent.” He argued that removing these individuals from the system would strengthen the program. In parallel, Elon Musk echoed similar concerns on his social media platform, X, even humorously suggesting that vampires might be fraudulently collecting benefits.
Criticism and Lack of Evidence
Despite the bold statements from Trump and Musk, these claims have been met with significant criticism. Analysts and officials argue that the allegations are exaggerated and lack concrete evidence. A July 2024 report from the Social Security Inspector General found that between 2015 and 2022, the agency disbursed $71.8 billion in improper payments, which constitutes less than 1% of total benefits. Additionally, the U.S. Treasury recently reclaimed $31 million in federal payments mistakenly sent to deceased individuals. These figures indicate that while some errors exist, the scale of the problem is much smaller than Trump and Musk suggest.
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