Former President Joe Biden in one of his first public speeches since leaving the White House offered a full-throated rebuke of the Trump administration’s efforts to cut Social Security on Tuesday, calling the amount of damage the White House has inflicted on the program “breathtaking” and “devastating,” — a sharp departure from his efforts while in office to protect it and “make it stronger.”
“Well, look what’s happening. In fewer than 100 days, this new administration has made so much … done so much damage, and so much, it’s kind of breathtaking it could happen that soon,” Biden said.
Biden avoiding saying his successor’s name. In his nearly 30-minute remarks, the 82-year-old often sounded hushed, with several distinct outbursts in defense of Social Security and its recipients. His only indirect mention of President Donald Trump was to call him “this guy.”
Biden was introduced by former Maryland Gov. and Social Security Administrator Martin O’Malley in front of roughly 180 attendees at the Advocates, Counselors and Representatives for the Disabled conference in Chicago.
“I will not go further and get in trouble …” Biden said wearily early in his speech, as he pivoted then from highlighting his own accomplishments as president to uplift Social Security to rebuking the current White House’s cuts.
“Last time this guy had the job, he raised the debt ceiling because of an enormous and profligate tax cut to the super wealthy,” Biden said later.
“They wanted to cut Social Security,” Biden added, calling out Republican members of Congress. “Not on my watch. We refused to go along with any of that,” he said.
Later in the former president’s remarks, he threw out any hesitancy to critique the current administration, even saying Trump voters in the 2024 election had “no heart.”
“What makes us distinct from the rest of the world? Basic, in my view, fundamental American values. Nobody’s king,” Biden said, again referencing Trump.
“You can’t go on like this, as a divided nation, as divided as we are, like I said, I’ve been doing this a long time. It’s never been this divided. Granted, it’s just 30 percent, but it’s a 30 percent that has no heart.”
He also warned of additional cuts to Social Security.
“They’ve taken a hatchet in Social Security, pushing additional 7,000 employees, 7,000 out the door in that time, including the most seasoned career officials. Now they’re getting ready to push something more out the door.”
Biden also hit directly at Trump’s Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and his senior adviser Elon Musk.
“Based on [Lutnick’s] comments, he doesn’t seem to even care. You saw what he said the other day. By the way, he’s a billionaire … He said his 94-year-old mother-in-law wouldn’t complain, wouldn’t bother her. Probably lovely woman. No kidding…. her son-in-law is a billionaire. What about that 94-year-old mother living all by herself?
“Folks, it’s not just the Secretary of Commerce, where we heard how others, empowered and emboldened by this administration, talk about Social Security, one of them called it a ‘Ponzi scheme.’ A Ponzi scheme — what the hell are they talking about?” Biden said, referring to Musk.
Biden suggested that the White House’s moves were based on the tech industry adage of “move fast and break things.”
He also asserted that this Congress would move to cut the program through the Republican funding package that would make Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent.
“These guys are willing to hurt the middle class, working class, in order to deliver significant, greater wealth to the already very wealthy,” he said. “Who in the hell do they think they are? I really think they — I mean just basic, basic decency. Who do think they are?”
Biden’s speech came as Democratic congressional leaders billed Tuesday as a “Day of Action” focused on Social Security.
“Across the country, Democrats are leading the fight to oppose the Republican plan to gut Social Security. Our Save Social Security Day of Action will mobilize Americans from every corner of the United States to push back on Donald Trump, Elon Musk and DOGE’s cuts to Social Security,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a joint statement.
“Republicans want to slash this critical lifeline by making it harder for seniors and people with disabilities to access their earned benefits. Shutting down local offices, firing large numbers of experienced constituent service workers and cutting phone services makes it harder for people to get their checks. Republicans are trying to kill Social Security from the inside — it is a cut by another name — and we won’t let that happen.”