The article critiques Elon Musk and Donald Trump's repeated claims that millions of deceased individuals are collecting Social Security benefits, arguing that these assertions are unfounded. Despite clear evidence from agency employees refuting the claims, the two continue to leverage the narrative to push for radical changes in government spending. Musk's comments stem from outdated records, misunderstanding led to sensational claims that aim to undermine trust in federal programs, exposing a politically motivated attack without factual backing.
Despite being told by agency staff last month that this claim has no basis in fact, Elon Musk and President Donald Trump have continued to use the talking point as a pretext to attack America's highest-spending government program.
In his speech to Congress last week, Trump stated: "Believe it or not, government databases list 4.7 million Social Security members from people aged 100 to 109 years old."
Agency employees reportedly explained to Musk's DOGE team in February that the list of impossibly ancient individuals they found were not necessarily receiving benefits.
Musk discussed the existence of "20 million people who are definitely dead, marked as alive" in the Social Security database, indicating a troubling narrative around government spending.
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