In his first public speech since leaving office in January, former U.S. President Joe Biden delivered sharp criticism of the Trump administration’s approach to the Social Security Administration (SSA), CNN reported. Without directly naming Donald Trump, Biden expressed concern about sweeping changes underway at the SSA, describing them as damaging and abrupt. He warned that the agency was being dismantled, saying the current administration was taking a "hatchet" to it, leading to significant disruptions in operations and public trust.

Biden highlighted a major reorganization effort taking place at the SSA, led by the Department of Government Efficiency under tech billionaire Elon Musk. The overhaul includes staff reductions and policy shifts, with around 7,000 employees reportedly leaving, many of them experienced civil servants. He noted that more cuts are expected, which he said threatens the integrity and stability of services. This, according to Biden, has led to a surge in public anxiety, with beneficiaries flooding the agency’s phone lines and offices over concerns about their entitlements.

The former president criticized the management style of the new administration, drawing parallels to startup culture. He said, “They’re following that old line from tech startups – the quote is, ‘move fast, break things.’ Well, they’re certainly breaking things.” Biden warned that this approach is creating “needless pain and sleepless nights” for Americans dependent on Social Security.

During his address to the national conference of Advocates, Counsellors and Representatives for the Disabled (ACRD) in Chicago, Biden emphasized the importance of unity and condemned what he described as a heartless minority. He said roughly 30% of the country appears to lack compassion, which contributes to deepening national division. “It’s never been this divided,” he remarked, underscoring his call for fairness and the need to uphold core American values.

He also voiced concern over the impact of budget and personnel cuts on the SSA’s technological infrastructure. According to Biden, the agency’s tech division has been halved, resulting in frequent website crashes and restricted access to services for beneficiaries. This, he warned, directly affects the 73 million Americans who rely on Social Security, including people with disabilities and retired citizens.

Biden accused Republicans of trying to deliberately undermine the SSA in order to justify diverting its resources. He claimed their goal is to raid the Social Security trust fund to finance a permanent extension of the 2017 tax cuts, which largely benefited the wealthiest individuals and large corporations. He estimated the cost of such a move at $5 trillion and criticized the GOP for planning to increase the national debt or cut other programs to cover the expense.

In response to Biden’s remarks, the Social Security Administration denied the claims. In a series of posts on X, the agency accused Biden of misleading the public, stating that former President Trump had pledged to protect Social Security and proposed eliminating taxation on benefits to help seniors. The SSA also rejected reports that half its tech staff had been dismissed, pointing to a $16.5 million investment in phone system upgrades.

The agency further noted that its inspector general had identified $72 billion in improper payments from fiscal years 2015 to 2022. Additionally, it said that over 2 million undocumented immigrants had been assigned Social Security numbers in the most recent fiscal year.