Trump’s Social Security playbook
If you watched Donald Trump’s joint address on Tuesday night, you might have caught his latest tall tale about Social Security fraud and the millions of deceased Americans collecting checks every year.
Trump alleged nearly 16 million people over the age of 100 have been receiving Social Security payments, including 130,000 supposedly over 160 years old, and even “one person listed at 360.”
The truth? The people Trump referenced aren’t receiving checks — they’re simply still in the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) database. This is a known issue, flagged repeatedly by inspectors general, but fixing the records would cost millions. And critically, it has nothing to do with benefits actually being paid out.
Here’s what the real numbers show:
- According to the SSA’s former inspector general, just 0.84% of benefits from 2015 to 2022 were improper. Most of those were overpayments to existing recipients — not checks sent to the deceased or ineligible.
- In December 2024, as one look at the SSA’s beneficiaries chart will show you, just 89,106 people over age 99 received Social Security retirement benefits — not the nearly 16 million Trump claimed.
But this isn’t just another case of Trump stating incorrect facts. We’ve seen this playbook before. Just as Trump worked to sow doubt about the legitimacy of an election, he’s now trying to undermine confidence in Social Security — suggesting it’s corrupt, mismanaged and in need of drastic intervention.
Here are some real facts about Social Security: as highlighted by former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley, the Social Security Administration has never missed a benefit payment in its existence; over 73 million people depend on those payments; and 66% of Republicans believe Social Security needs more funding.
The question is: Will Democrats meet this moment? Trump may be underestimating just how much Americans — Republicans and Democrats alike — value this program. After all, Social Security isn’t just a policy issue. It’s a lifeline. And it’s an argument I hope Democrats put some real money behind.
A highlight for Democrats: Sen. Slotkin’s response
Delivering the official rebuttal to a joint congressional address is often seen as an extremely risky, even cursed, task. Just ask Secretary of State Marco Rubio (whose midspeech lunge for water became a viral sensation) or Sen. Katie Britt (whose awkward kitchen-table performance left many puzzled). Even Sen. Elissa Slotkin acknowledged the so-called “curse” before giving this year’s response.
But Slotkin’s remarks proved to be a highlight of the evening for Democrats. She made it clear Trump has done nothing to further his goal of lowering prices for consumers. She focused on rebuilding the middle class and expanding national security, rather than cozying up to dictators abroad.
And she didn’t just attack Trump — she offered a contrast. One grounded in an understanding of how Democrats need to prioritize working people to win in states like Michigan.
Will it be enough to break the so-called response “curse” for future Congress members? No, and I’m sure most members still wouldn’t touch that speech with a 10-foot pole for a long time. But Slotkin showed exactly why she’s a rising star in the Democratic Party.
Tune in Monday for the final episode of ‘The Blueprint with Jen Psaki’
Ken Martin, who led the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party before taking the reins at the DNC, says it’s time for Democrats to stop playing it safe. On this week’s episode, he has no time for niceties.
Martin made the case that Democrats need to start playing dirtier — not by lying or spreading disinformation, but by throwing real punches and using every tool available to fight back. He also called out Speaker Mike Johnson for dodging town halls, exposed Trump’s Social Security backtracking, and showed a very — let’s just say — different side of himself than I expected from our many past interviews.
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Jen Psaki is the host of "The Briefing with Jen Psaki" airing Tuesdays through Fridays at 9 p.m. EST. She is the former White House press secretary for President Joe Biden.