In his first public address since leaving office, former U.S. President Joe Biden sharply criticized the Trump administration’s handling of social welfare, accusing it of dismantling the Social Security system that supports millions of Americans.
Speaking at a disability rights event in Chicago, Biden avoided naming his successor directly but delivered a blistering critique, saying, “In fewer than 100 days, this new administration has done so much damage and so much destruction. It’s kind of breath-taking.”
Biden defended Social Security as a “sacred promise,” emphasizing its significance in the lives of retired and disabled Americans. “We know just how much Social Security matters to people’s lives,” he said.
The comments come amid growing controversy over the administration’s proposed cuts to the Social Security Agency (SSA), which manages $1.6 trillion in annual benefits for over 67 million citizens. The cuts are being spearheaded by Elon Musk, head of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, who has described Social Security as “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.”
Musk’s team is aiming to slash 7,000 jobs—around 10 percent of SSA’s workforce—citing the need to eliminate fraud and inefficiencies. President Donald Trump has insisted the cuts target fraudulent claims and illegal recipients, not lawful American beneficiaries. On Tuesday, he signed an executive order to block illegal immigrants and “other ineligible people” from receiving Social Security payments.
Ahead of Biden’s speech, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt assured the public that Trump remains committed to protecting benefits for “law-abiding, tax-paying American citizens and seniors.”
Meanwhile, the SSA, now led by a Trump appointee, accused Biden of “lying” in his remarks.
In a rare public rebuke, former President Barack Obama also weighed in, criticizing Trump’s decision to freeze over $2 billion in federal funds to Harvard University over its stance on campus antisemitism policies, calling it “unlawful and ham-handed.”
Biden, who has kept a low profile since leaving office, made no mention of the 2024 election or his political future during the event.