A recent message from Elon Musk about Social Security benefits in the US has sparked a lot of discussion. There is no denying Elon Musk’s leadership and management skills, which have earned him praise for running companies like Tesla and X (ex-Twitter).
But he is about to embark on a journey he has never been on before: the political arena. Why is that? He will help run the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which will give advice on how to loosen rules and make spending by the government easier.
Elon Musk speaks out on the Social Security situation in the country
In his new job, he caused a stir with recent comments he made about the Social Security program, which he is worried about, especially the changes that might hurt the more than 70 million people who get benefits from it.
One of the most important programs in the U.S. is Social Security, which gives monthly payments to retired people, people with disabilities, and the families of workers who have died. The US government will spend more than $1.4 trillion on this program in 2023, which is the most of any program in the country.
With the start of Donald Trump’s new administration, people think that changes will be made, but no specifics have been given. At the moment, Musk is co-leader of the DOGE with Vivek Ramaswamy, who is a famous businessman and author.
This new department will look at how efficient the federal government is and find ways to cut back on wasteful spending and rules. Musk did not say anything directly about the need to change or get rid of Social Security benefits, but his ties to Republican economic policies make people wonder about the future of the program.
Also, Elon showed interest in Republican Social Security policies in his most recent speech. He posted a message on his account that was written by Utah Senator Mike Lee. The message is very negative about Social Security.
Lee called the project a “Ponzi scheme” that needs more money to stay alive. The same person says that Americans do not get a “adequate” return on the money they put into the system, and they say that Social Security should be changed in every way.
Senator Lee also said that the current model is not clear and that it is more like a tax than an investment. A lot of Republicans want to change the system because they think that money that is spent on Social Security might be better used on private businesses.
Musk’s retweet of this thread seemed to support the senator’s criticism, which led to more discussion about what he thinks about this important issue.
Musk’s alert is an attack on the most vulnerable Americans
Alex Lawson, executive director of Social Security Works, a group that fights for the rights of people who get Social Security, said that Musk and Lee’s comments were an attack on the most vulnerable people in the country, like seniors and people with disabilities.
Lawson was against these plans because he thought they were an attempt to take away the benefits that people have earned through hard work in order to help Wall Street and corporate interests.
Vivek Ramaswamy, who will also be on the DOGE, said in a recent interview that the department will work to cut down on waste and fraud in programs like Social Security and Medicare, but that there will not be any big changes coming to these benefits soon.
Also, Ramaswamy said that since voters and their representatives in Congress make decisions about these programs, it would not be right for the new department to make big changes without a lot of support.
However, some financial experts, like Alex Beene, think that Musk’s words may be true under the next administration. Beene said that attempts to lower the government’s spending could hurt programs like Social Security and Medicare, which need the right amount of money to work properly.
