In his first remarks since he left the White House, former President Joe Biden took aim at President Donald Trump’s actions and urged Americans to defend the ‘sacred promise’ of Social Security.
Speaking at a convention in Chicago, Biden said that Americans must “never betray the trust” of those who rely on the program, which has been in place for nearly a century.
“Social Security is more than a government program. It’s a sacred promise we made as a nation,” he said. “73 million Americans receive Social Security. We must never, ever betray that trust, or turn our backs on that obligation.”
Biden spoke to the ACRD Convention in Chicago on Tuesday, receiving an award for his work on behalf of Americans with disabilities and his administration’s efforts to bolster Social Security.
In his first major speech since leaving the White House, former President Joe Biden decried DOGE’s cuts to federal agencies and spending, including social security. “In fewer than 100 days, this new administration has done so much damage and so much destruction– it’s kind of breathtaking it could happen that soon.”
The former president accused Trump of “taking a hatchet” to the program, which he says they are doing without regard to the impacts to beneficiaries.
“In fewer than 100 days, this new administration has done so much damage and so much destruction,” he said. “They’ve taken a hatchet to the Social Security Administration, pushing an additional 7,000 employees out the door in that time.”
In addition to the plan to lay off thousands of workers, the Trump administration has faced legal scrutiny over adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency seeking access to individuals’ Social Security numbers and other information, according to the Associated Press.
Biden also criticized the administration’s moves to change identity verification requirements, which invited a wave of controversy when they were unveiled. Those policies have since been delayed to April 14, and specific groups have been exempted from the requirements.
“In addition to extending the policy’s effective date by two weeks to ensure our employees have the training they need to help customers, Medicare, Disability, and SSI applications will be exempt from in-person identity proofing because multiple opportunities exist during the decision process to verify a person’s identity,” acting commissioner Lee Dudek said in a statement.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker will lead a delegation of nearly 70 public and private sector leaders on a trade mission to Mexico.
The chaotic rollout of the new requirements has been a source of significant controversy, and Biden compared the current administration’s actions to those of tech startup companies in Silicon Valley.
“They’re following that old line from tech startups: ‘Move fast, break things,’” he said. “They’re certainly breaking things. They’re shooting first and aiming later. The result is needless pain and sleepless nights.”
Trump has repeatedly pledged that he will not cut funds from Social Security or Medicare, and has said he does not intend to raise the retirement age for either program. Some Republicans have still floated the idea, but Biden blasted the idea during his remarks.
“That may not be a hardship for someone working in a comfortable job, but if you’re on your feet all day, doing manual labor all day, working with a disability, it’s a very different matter,” he said.
Biden ended his remarks by calling on all Americans to work together to defend the program, and to protect those whom benefit from it.
“Social Security deserves to be protected for the good of the nation as a whole,” he said.