World’s richest man thinks you’re a fraudster who deserves no benefits

Co-President Elon Musk gave an unhinged interview to Fox News on Thursday in which he referred to anyone who complains about not getting their Social Security benefits as being “fraudsters.” The comment came while he defended the changes he’s made that are breaking down the vital social safety net program.

“One of the things I learned at PayPal was, you know who complains the loudest? And with the most amount of fake righteous indignation? The fraudsters. That’s—it’s a tell,” Musk, the world’s richest man who is worth more than $340 billion, told Fox News in an interview while he was surrounded by other members of his so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

Of course, legitimate people have lost their benefits because of Musk and his DOGE bros’ actions. That includes one very much alive man who was accused of being dead. To restore the benefits he earned through years of work, the man was forced to jump through hoops and navigate a system Musk has purposefully broken.

Musk’s other changes to the program—including slashing staff, closing offices, and changing the process with which beneficiaries verify their identities—is leading to long wait times for beneficiaries to get questions answered or solve problems.

And on Friday, a new policy goes into effect where seniors who were overpaid by the Social Security Administration will now have their benefits entirely withheld until they pay the money back—a move that punishes Social Security recipients for the government’s errors. Former President Joe Biden had changed the policy to withhold only 10% of a beneficiary’s benefits until their overpayments were returned.

“If an overpayment is being made, that means the Social Security Administration is withholding 100% of their payment for however long it takes to repay the agency—and they are without money to pay for food,” Dan Adcock, director of government relations and policy for the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, told CBS MoneyWatch.

During Musk’s interview, even Fox News stooge Bret Baier wasn’t buying what Musk was selling.

“I think that most people, common-sense-wise, would say the fraud’s gotta end. But they’re concerned about the 94-year-old mother who skips a check or somehow doesn’t get what she’s supposed to get,” Baier said.

Musk’s comment denigrating anyone who complains about not getting their Social Security benefits is nearly identical to the line Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik, a fellow billionaire, used in a podcast interview last week.

“Let’s say Social Security didn’t send out their checks this month. My mother-in-law, who’s 94, she wouldn’t call and complain. She just wouldn’t. She thinks something got messed up and she’ll get it next month. A fraudster always makes the loudest noise screaming, yelling, and complaining. And all the guys who did PayPal, like Elon knows this by heart, right? Anybody who’s been in the payment system and the process system knows the easiest way to find the fraudster is to stop payments and listen,” he said.

Attacking Social Security recipients wasn’t the only unhinged thing Musk did in the interview with Baier. Musk also lied about how DOGE is not being reckless in their cuts to the federal government.

“I do agree that we actually want to be careful in the cuts,” Musk said. “We want to measure twice, if not thrice, and cut once. That is our approach.”

But Musk has absolutely not been careful. After he haphazardly fired thousands of probationary federal employees, the government had to scramble to rehire workers it had fired. Those workers included stewards of the country’s nuclear weapons arsenal, workers fending off a bird flu pandemic, and those administering a program for people sickened by their exposure to ground zero on 9/11.

Musk gave the interview to Fox News in an effort to build support for his DOGE disaster.

So far, his efforts have been deeply unpopular with voters, who view Musk unfavorably and who overwhelmingly oppose not only the cuts he is making but also the way in which they are being made. A recent poll conducted for Fox News found 51% of registered voters oppose shrinking the federal workforce, and 65% said Musk and DOGE have not given enough thought and planning to the cuts. 

And there are signs that Musk’s actions are hurting Trump and the Republican Party.

For example, on Tuesday, Democrats flipped a state Senate seat in Pennsylvania that Trump won by 15 percentage points in 2024—and which Democrats have never before won. 

Trump also pulled New York Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination to serve as ambassador to the United Nations because of fears that Republicans might lose her district, which Stefanik won by more than 20 points last year.

“With a very tight Majority, I don’t want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise’s seat,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday. “The people love Elise and, with her, we have nothing to worry about come Election Day. There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations. Therefore, Elise will stay in Congress, rejoin the House Leadership Team, and continue to fight for our amazing American People.”

Meanwhile, Republican Senators are being urged to sing DOGE’s praises as they face angry constituents at town hall meetings who are demanding that the GOP stand up to Musk’s cuts. But as more Americans feel the pain of Trump and Musk’s cuts, telling voters not to believe the pain they are experiencing will be a tough sell.

And certainly, televised interviews with Musk, a weirdo with the personality of a wet blanket, won’t fix things, either.
 

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