In his first public speech since leaving office, former President Joe Biden did his best to stoke fear, claiming that the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to eliminate fraud and waste from the Social Security system are putting Americans’ benefits at risk.
Biden delivered his disingenuous remarks on Tuesday evening in Chicago at an event hosted by the Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled. As per NBC News, throughout the address, Biden referred to President Donald Trump only as “this guy.”
Here are several excerpts from his remarks:
In fewer than 100 days, this administration has done so much damage and so much devastation. It’s breathtaking that it could happen so fast. They’re taking a hatchet to the Social Security Administration, pushing out 7,000 employees, including the most seasoned officials.People are now genuinely concerned for the first time in history — for the first and only time in history — that their Social Security benefits may be delayed or interrupted. They’ve gotten it during wartime, during recessions, during the pandemic — no matter what they got it. But now, for the first time ever, that may change. It would be a calamity for millions of families, millions of people….Why are these guys taking aim at Social Security now? Well, they’re following that old line from tech startups. The quote is, ‘Move fast, break things.’ They’re certainly breaking things. They’re shooting first and aiming later.
Biden declared the Trump administration wanted to “wreck it [Social Security] so they could rob it” and asked, “Who in the hell do they think they are?”
Ahead of the speech, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked by a reporter for a comment at an afternoon press briefing. She made it very clear that Trump “is absolutely certain about protecting Social Security benefits for law-abiding, taxpaying American citizens and seniors who have paid into this program.”
Fox News’ Brett Baier cut into his 6 p.m. news program, Special Report, to call out the discrepancies between Biden’s claims and those from the DOGE team leaders he recently interviewed.
Baier played a clip of the former president saying, “Folks, imagine the panic that causes if you’re a retiree living alone with only Social Security to depend upon. So now people are overwhelming the phone lines.”
Baier said, “[Former] President Biden in Chicago talking about Social Security there, saying the administration has dismantled Social Security. They have fired, gotten rid of a number of employees, thousands of them in the Social Security Administration.
He continued, “But, in that interview with Elon Musk and his DOGE team, they say they are going after waste, fraud, and abuse in Social Security and also President Trump has said that he will not touch benefits. In fact, Elon Musk pledging that benefits will be protected more by what they’re doing. Obviously, Democrats and [former] President Biden taking the opposite approach here. … ”
The truth is, there’s plenty of fraud within the Social Security system—and it’s not just DOGE that is pointing it out. But sure, let’s pretend they’re the only ones who noticed.
Not even Democrats were happy about Biden’s return to the limelight. One Biden campaign operative who wished to remain anonymous told Politico: “It takes a special level of chutzpah as the man most responsible for reelecting Donald Trump to decide it’s your voice that is missing in this moment. The country would be better served if he rode off into the sunset.”
Two sources who were “familiar with the matter” told the New York Times that Biden was paid for the address, and that “he is expected to participate in more speaking engagements in the future.” Something to look forward to.
Biden’s full address can be watched below.
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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