- Elon Musk Eyes Social Security and Medicare As Key Targets for Cuts, Musk advises President Donald Trump on eliminating inefficiencies.
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Remarks on aid may unsettle lawmakers from both parties.
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Musk’s fraud projection surpasses estimates from oversight bodies.
On Monday, Elon Musk brought up some old claims about Social Security, saying that federal assistance programs are rife with fraud. He suggested that tackling this issue would be a key part of his effort to cut down on government spending.
Musk, who is currently advising President Donald Trump, said that we could get rid of between $500 billion and $700 billion in inefficiencies. “Most of the federal spending goes to entitlements,” he pointed out in an interview with the Fox Business Network. “That’s where we really need to focus.”
His comments about the popular program and other forms of aid could disturb lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, especially since Musk is trying to streamline the federal government amidst criticism for his aggressive job cuts and program reductions.
Musk’s claims about fraud in entitlement programs are much higher than the estimates from oversight organizations. For instance, Social Security’s inspector general previously documented $71 billion in improper payments between 2015 and 2022, which is actually less than 1% of the total benefits paid out during that time.
He also stated that there are “20 million people who are definitely deceased yet still listed as alive in the Social Security system.”
However, the head of the agency has pushed back against these claims of widespread payments to the deceased. “These individuals aren’t necessarily collecting benefits,” noted Lee Dudek, the acting commissioner of Social Security.
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Last Updated on March 11, 2025 by 247 News Around The World
