John,
Donald Trump and Elon Musk are waging a war on Social Security — and they’re lying through their teeth to do it. Their endgame? They want to smash it, loot it, and leave millions of working families high and dry.
They’re betting that we’ll believe their spin. But we’re here to set the record straight — and stop them.
Before we lay out the facts, push Congress to take a stand — and to tell Trump, Musk, and every corporate sellout in the Capitol: Keep your hands off Social Security. No more backroom deals. No more theft from working families. Add your name now.
Sign the petition »
Let’s break it down:
1. Social Security supports the living — not the dead.
Trump’s latest? That Social Security is paying millions of dollars to “ghosts.”1 It’s a shameless lie.
Here’s the truth: Sometimes names stick around in old records — but that doesn’t mean checks are going out. This is fearmongering, plain and simple.
But while they’re making up horror stories, here’s the real emergency: Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” is shutting down nearly 50 Social Security offices, slashing phone lines, and leaving millions of real, living people — seniors, disabled workers, widows, and struggling families — stranded.2
And the damage is real. Musk’s agency even flagged a living man as “dead” and cut off his benefits overnight. He’s still alive — but his Social Security check? Gone.3
2. Social Security is a promise — not a scam
On the “Joe Rogan Experience” earlier this month, Musk called Social Security “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.”4 Trump’s been pushing the same lie for years.
Let's be clear: A Ponzi scheme is fraud. Social Security isn’t. Workers pay into it with every paycheck, and when they retire or need it, they get the benefits they earned. It’s transparent, backed by law, and has delivered every dollar it promised for nearly 90 years.5
The real scam? Billionaires like Trump and Musk dodging their fair share. A truck driver and a billionaire currently pay the same amount in Social Security taxes.6
But if the ultra-wealthy paid the same percentage as the rest of us? Social Security would be fully funded for the next 75 years — with room to boost benefits.7
Instead, Trump and Musk would rather choke the system, call it “broken,” and keep stashing their billions offshore.
3. Social Security delivers — cuts don’t.
Social Security is one of the most efficient programs in the country — period.
In 1957, 2.2% of Social Security’s budget covered staffing and offices. Today? Less than half a percent.8
The real waste? Musk’s DOGE team is closing offices, cutting services, and firing workers — forcing millions to navigate a broken system.
Musk doesn’t care about “efficiency.” He cares about siphoning your money and padding his own pockets.
The bottom line is: Social Security isn’t just a retirement check. It’s a lifeline — for seniors, yes, but also for disabled workers, widowed spouses, children who’ve lost a parent, and families trying to survive a crisis.
But Trump, Musk, and their billionaire buddies don’t care. They want to rip it away from everyone — so they can keep dodging taxes and hoard more wealth while millions lose everything.
They’re lying. And unless we fight back, they’ll get away with it.
We won’t let them. Help us stop the lies: Tell Congress to stand up to Trump, Musk, and every insider scheming to gut Social Security — stop the cuts, protect every dollar we’ve earned, and defend the benefits millions of working people rely on.
Sign the petition »
In solidarity and resistance,
Working Families Party
Sources:
1. Tens of millions of dead people aren’t getting Social Security checks, despite Trump and Musk claims, AP News, February 19, 2025.
2. A list of the Social Security offices across the US expected to close this year, AP News, March 19, 2025.
3. Here’s a ‘dead’ person on Social Security in Seattle, with plenty to say, The Seattle Times, March 15, 2025.
4. Social Security and Sex Robots: Musk Veers Off Script With Joe Rogan, The New York Times, March 3, 2025.
5. Social Security Is Not a Ponzi Scheme, Boston Review, March 11, 2025.
6. Policy Basics: Top Ten Facts about Social Security, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, May 31, 2024.
7. One way to fix Social Security? "Smash the cap", CBS News, March 3, 2023.
8. Social Security Administrative Expenses, Social Security Administration, accessed March 20, 2025.
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