Former U.S. President Joe Biden has publicly criticized his successor, President Donald Trump, for the first time since leaving office. According to Reuters on the 15th local time, former President Biden spoke at a disability organization event in Chicago, stating that the Trump administration caused “tremendous damage and destruction in less than 100 days.”
He particularly mentioned the Social Security Administration (SSA), which provides pensions and social benefits to 73 million people, including retirees, disabled workers, and low-income households, and stated that “the Trump administration has axed the SSA.”
He emphasized that “social security is a sacred promise of the nation” and that “everyone knows how important social security is to people’s lives.”
The social security benefits paid by the SSA amount to $1.4 trillion annually.
Previously, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, identified the U.S. social security system as one of the primary targets for budget cuts.
DOGE plans to reduce at least 7,000 SSA personnel and close some offices.
However, contrary to claims of widespread fraud, inappropriate social security payments amounted to less than 1% of the total from 2015 to 2022.
[Photo Source: AP=Yonhap News]