Donald Trump Vows No Cuts To Social Security Benefits, Medicaid Amid Elon Musk-Led Fraud Probe

(MENAFN- Live Mint) US President Donald Trump has reiterated that Social Security benefits will not be cut, despite growing concerns over Elon Musk's review of the program for potential fraud.

Trump stated, speaking to Fox News on Tuesday (February 18): "Look, Social Security won't be touched, other than if there's fraud or something. It's going to be strengthened. But it won't be touched."

Trump also assured that Medicare and Medicaid would remain intact. "None of that stuff is going to be touched," he said, adding that his administration would remove "illegal migrants in the system."

Musk's fraud allegations spark concern

Democrats have raised alarms that Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) may push for Social Security cuts under the guise of eliminating fraud. Musk, however, has insisted his focus is on "fraud, waste, and abuse" within the agency, which he has called the site of "the biggest fraud in history."

Musk 's allegations have already led to disruptions within the Social Security Administration (SSA). The agency's acting commissioner resigned over the weekend following DOGE's attempts to access sensitive SSA data.

Musk's controversial claims on Social Security fraud

Musk has made bold claims about Social Security fraud, arguing that many deceased individuals are still receiving benefits. In a CNN interview on February 11, he stated: "With a cursory examination of Social Security, we've got people in there that are 150 years old now."

He later doubled down on his assertions on social media. On February 16, Musk posted on X: "Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security."

DOGE investigates SSA database

DOGE has since turned its attention to the Social Security database, with Musk claiming tens of millions of dead people may still be receiving payments. In a post on X, Musk shared a screenshot of a spreadsheet, saying: "According to the Social Security database, these are the numbers of people in each age bucket with the death field set to FALSE!"

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