BY MATT BERG
& CROOKED MEDIA

MONDAY
MARCH 3, 2025

The Tooth Fairy doesn’t pay ‘em.” 

— Billionaire investor Warren Buffett calling Trump's [tariffs a tax on goods]([link removed]).

BENEFIT FOR A KING

Could the U.S. fumble a Social Security payment for the first time ever? It might, thanks to Elon Musk, a former top official just warned.  

- Social Security is often called the “[third rail]([link removed])” of U.S. politics: Touch it, and watch your political future get sizzled on the subway tracks. That explains why President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to protect the program that sends monthly checks that 72.5 million retired and disabled Americans, and [which 87 percent of Americans support]([link removed]). Gazillionaire Elon Musk, however, has a much dimmer view of the program. It’s really “one big pyramid scheme,” Musk told Joe Rogan [during a podcast appearance]([link removed]) last week. 

- Musk has a long history of attacking Social Security. He recently [falsely claimed]([link removed]) that tens of millions of dead Americans are still receiving benefits. But his new comments are especially chilling, because his so-called Department of Government Efficiency is [preparing to fire thousands]([link removed]) of employees in the agency and closing field offices in its supposed effort to root out fraud and waste. 

- “What a fucking idiot,” a long-time Social Security Administration employee told What A Day, referencing Musk’s comments. “I don’t think he fully understands that SSA is not an investment firm but a social safety net.” 

 
The consequences of DOGE’s action could be devastating, according to current and former officials. 

- Social Security benefits could soon be interrupted because of Musk’s efforts, former SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley [told CNBC]([link removed]). The collapse could happen within the next 30 to 90 days, he added. “People should start saving now.” (Yikes!) 

- That’s a huge deal, because the SSA hasn’t missed a payment to beneficiaries since its creation in 1935. “Sometimes people don't get checks because of certain things that happen on an individual record, but not a mass outage,” the employee said. “My fear is that we are headed toward that … because they want to privatize it.”

- Musk’s claim that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme is absurd, the employee added, because the U.S. isn’t making money off the program. It’s designed to help poor people and vulnerable people more than the rich and powerful, which is probably why Musk, the richest man in the world, hates the idea of it. For example, one beneficiary might receive a $2,000 check every month, but only pay $132,000 in taxes over the course of his life, the employee said. His disabled child would also receive $1,700 for the rest of his life in Social Security.

- “I have had people on the phone being like, ‘I'm terrified that you guys are going to go away,’” the employee said. “They're starting to get really freaked out.”
 
It’s unclear how impactful DOGE’s cuts to Social Security will be. Maybe we shouldn’t leave that to someone who’s on track to be the world’s first trillionaire?

MOSCOW FOOL

The fallout keeps coming from Donald Trump's disastrous Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last Friday, and Russia is loving it. 
 
American foreign policy [now “largely aligns”]([link removed]) with Russia’s, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters over the weekend. His chilling analysis is a direct result of Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s public takedown of Zelenskyy on Friday, during which they harassed him for not thanking the U.S. enough for its support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
 
The new Washington-Moscow friendship is already bearing cursed fruit: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth [suspended all cyberattacks]([link removed]) against Russia, a major shift in U.S. policy. Awesome! 
 
Adding fuel to the fire, Trump blasted Zelenskyy today for saying that the end of the war is “very, very far away.”
 
“This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!” Trump wrote on Truth Social this morning. Elon Musk, of course, felt the need to chime in too: “Zelensky wants a forever war, a never-ending graft meat grinder. This is evil,” he wrote on X. Neither of them mentioned that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin started the war.
 
The U.S. is becoming more aligned with Russia, causing European countries to [consider ways to protect themselves]([link removed]) without relying on Washington — showing major cracks in an iron-clad alliance that’s existed since World War II.

At least we’re getting [some incredible memes]([link removed]) making fun of Vance out of all this.

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WHAT ELSE?

[Israel halted the delivery of all aid into the Gaza Strip,]([link removed]) citing Hamas’s refusal to agree to an extended ceasefire deal. Israel has faced widespread condemnation for the decision — deliberately withholding food and medical supplies is a war crime.
 
[Secretary of State Marco Rubio bypassed Congress to send $4 billion]([link removed]) in arms to Israel, without explaining why he was going around lawmakers. It’s the second time the Trump administration has skipped over Congress to send weapons to Israel. Those include more than 35,000 2,000-pound bombs, which Israel has repeatedly used in Gaza.
 
[U.S. tariffs on Mexico and Canada are scheduled to go into effect]([link removed]) starting Tuesday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said. But the final decision will ultimately be made by Trump, Lutnick added. The stock market staged its [biggest selloff of the year]([link removed]) on the news, in just the latest shining example of Trump’s business genius at work.
 
[Do you like Chevy Silverados? Too bad]([link removed])! Car prices, in general, [could jump as much as $12,000]([link removed]) if Trump’s tariffs take effect. 
 
[The Senate is expected to confirm former WWE executive Linda McMahon]([link removed]) to lead the Education Department today, despite her explicit plans to dismantle the agency. 
 
[Trump announced plans to create a national crypto reserve,]([link removed]) which would be a major boost to this shady, unregulated industry. Critics [pointed out]([link removed]) the president’s apparent conflict of interest, considering the millions he made off the “Trumpcoin” he launched right before his inauguration. David Sacks, Trump’s so-called crypto czar, [came under fire for his connections to the industry]([link removed]). Nothing to see here, folks! Don’t mind me while I go put all my money in [Fartcoin]([link removed]) (just kidding — please, please, do not do this). 
 
[Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin is promoting the same people]([link removed]) who helped lead the DNC for years, despite Trump’s win. That’s an interesting strategy if you’re trying to shake things up, lol. 
 
[Disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) officially entered]([link removed]) the New York City mayoral race over the weekend. Any other morally reprehensible men want to jump in?  
 
[Wildfires in Georgia and South Carolina scorched thousands]([link removed]) of acres over the weekend, continuing today. Cold temperatures and rain on Tuesday are expected to help extinguish the fires.

[Elon Musk welcomed his 14th child, named Seldon Lycurgus]([link removed]), over the weekend.

WE'RE ALL FRIENDS HERE
 
Tomorrow, Trump is giving his first Joint Address to Congress, and we’re sure it’ll be super normal! We already know what to expect: flagrant lies, scare tactics, self-congratulation, and at least one nod to colonizing Canada and/or Greenland. The good news? You don’t have to endure it alone. Join Jon, Jon, Tommy, and Dan at 5 PM pacific / 8 PM eastern on the Pod Save America YouTube channel for a livestream preview of the speech, where they'll break down what to expect and take questions from Friends of the Pod subscribers.
 
Then, at 6 PM Pacific / 9 PM Eastern, head over to the Friends of the Pod Discord for a subscriber-only live chat—where you can process this freak show in real time with people who truly get it. No deranged Facebook uncles, no screaming into the void — just a space to vent, fact-check, and remind each other that reality still matters. Let’s get through this together. Sign up for Friends of the Pod now at [crooked.com/friends]([link removed]) - it's the best way to support Crooked and everything we do!
 

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[“No Other Land,” a documentary about Palestinian activists fighting]([link removed]) to prevent the Israeli military from demolishing their communities, won an Oscar for best documentary. It was a collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers, too.  
 
[“Anora,” the film about a Brooklyn sex worker who meets]([link removed]) a Russian oligarch’s son, won big at the Oscars. Actor Adrien Brody and Halle Berry smooched again on the red carpet. Conan O’Brien found a way to diss the rapper Drake, who can’t catch a break. [Here’s your highlight reel.]([link removed])

[A trans woman who was fired from McDonald’s after being harassed]([link removed]) won a $900,000 lawsuit against the company that runs the restaurant. Now, she works for the LGBTQ clinic that helped her during the ordeal. “Fight for your rights … and do not allow anybody to humiliate you,” she told the Washington Post.

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