WASHINGTON — Elon Musk pushed debunked theories about Social Safety on Monday whereas describing federal profit applications as rife with fraud, suggesting they are going to be a major goal in his campaign to scale back authorities spending.
The billionaire entrepreneur, who’s advising President Donald Trump, recommended that $500 billion to $700 billion in waste wanted to be lower.
“Most of the federal spending is entitlements,” Musk instructed the Fox Enterprise Community. “That’s the big one to eliminate.”
The feedback on the favored program and different advantages offered to People might rattle politicians on either side of the aisle as Musk works to downsize the federal authorities, particularly as he already faces blowback for his chainsaw-wielding method to shedding employees and slashing applications.
Musk’s estimate for the extent of fraud in entitlements far outpaces figures from watchdogs like Social Safety’s inspector normal, who beforehand stated there was $71.8 billion in improper funds from fiscal years 2015 by means of 2022. That’s lower than 1% of advantages paid out throughout that point interval.
Musk additionally stated there have been “20 million people who are definitely dead marked as alive in the Social Security database.” Nevertheless, the chief of the company has rejected claims about widespread funds to lifeless individuals.
“These individuals are not necessarily receiving benefits,” stated Lee Dudek, Social Safety’s appearing commissioner.
The interview with Fox Enterprise was a reminder of Musk’s deep skepticism and even hostility towards this system, which supplies month-to-month advantages to retirees and a few kids. Trump has promised to defend Social Safety from cuts, however Musk has described it as “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time,” and the administration is shutting down a number of the company’s workplaces.
Musk stated Monday that federal entitlements are “a mechanism by which the Democrats attract and retain illegal immigrants by essentially paying them to come here and then turning them into voters.” The allegation echoed the “great replacement” principle, which claims that politicians are attempting to increase their energy by reshaping the nation’s racial demographics.
The interview was carried out within the White Home complicated by Larry Kudlow, who served as an financial adviser to Trump throughout his first time period. In the course of the dialog, Musk appeared to acknowledge the weird nature of his position within the administration.
“Frankly, I can’t believe I’m here doing this,” Musk stated. “It’s kind of bizarre.”
Musk is the world’s richest individual and nonetheless runs his non-public enterprises as he advises the president on methods to overtake the federal authorities.
He additionally thanked Trump for his confidence, saying, “Without the president’s support, we couldn’t make any progress here.”
Trump has publicly backed Musk and given him extraordinary affect over the federal authorities. Nevertheless, the Republican president has indicated a shift in method, saying that Musk’s staff would use a “scalpel” reasonably than a “hatchet.”
Republicans have spent many years attempting to scale back the dimensions and scope of the federal authorities, and plenty of have cheered Musk’s work.
“The American people are sick of the swamp. They’re sick of waste, fraud and abuse,” stated Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, who leads the Nationwide Republican Congressional Committee. “For the first time ever, we finally have the tools to affect it. So I think the voters are going to reward us.”
However there are indicators of backlash and skepticism. Some Republicans have even boasted of blocking price range cuts.
Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole issued a press release saying three federal workplaces in his state — the Nationwide Climate Heart in Norman, the Social Safety Administration Workplace in Lawton and the Indian Well being Providers Workplace in Oklahoma Metropolis — would keep open.
“I am thrilled to announce that common sense has prevailed,” he stated. Cole added that “all three of these places provide vital and valuable services to Oklahomans and I am so proud to have advocated for them.”
About half of People stated it’s “a bad thing” that Trump has given Musk a distinguished position in his administration, in line with a mid-February CNN/SSRS ballot. Solely a 3rd noticed it as “a good thing.”
One other mid-February survey by The Washington Submit and Ipsos discovered that People have been divided on whether or not Musk is principally reducing wasteful spending or needed applications, with a couple of third falling into every camp. One other quarter stated they weren’t certain.