Social Security Cuts on GOP Agenda After Elon Musk Visits Capitol Hill

On Thursday, Republican legislators demonstrated an openness to consider cuts to Social Security and other compulsory programs following discussions with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the wealthy entrepreneurs selected by President-elect Donald Trump to head a new commission aimed at reducing federal expenditures and regulatory burdens.

Despite the Republican Party’s 2024 platform commitment to protect Social Security, the party has reverted to its traditional stance of scrutinizing the program in the weeks following Trump’s electoral victory. Some members of the party have openly criticized Social Security, while others have hinted at reductions by emphasizing the need for “tough choices” to stabilize its funding. Progressives, however, argue that the program’s long-term solvency could be secured by making the wealthy pay more, a proposal opposed by Republicans.

After the meeting with Musk and Ramaswamy, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) declared that “nothing is off limits.”

“Everything is on the table,” Norman, who is among the wealthiest members of Congress, stated.

Following Norman’s comments, Fox Business reported that Musk and Ramaswamy informed lawmakers that cuts could potentially affect all federal programs, including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

NBC News congressional correspondent Julie Tsirkin reported that Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), the newly elected Senate Majority Leader, mentioned after his meeting with Musk that “perhaps mandatory programs are areas where they are considering cuts, such as Social Security, for example.”

“However, no specific details were shared,” Tsirkin added.

Thune has previously advocated for increasing the retirement age for Social Security, a proposal that would effectively reduce benefits.

In the days leading up to their visit to Capitol Hill, both Musk and Ramaswamy criticized Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, indicating that these programs were targeted by their commission, which aims to cut federal spending without needing congressional consent.

Earlier in the week, Musk endorsed a series of tweets by Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), who had previously expressed a desire to “eliminate” Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Advocates for Social Security viewed Lee’s comments, boosted by Musk, as an attack on the foundational New Deal program.

In a recent CNBC interview, Ramaswamy mentioned that “there are hundreds of billions of dollars in potential savings” from Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, claiming these programs are plagued by inefficiencies and mismanagement.

“People often engage in idle speculation about whether there will be cuts to entitlements or not, when the real issue is that many of these funds aren’t even reaching the intended recipients,” Ramaswamy stated, suggesting this could lead to further restrictions that make it tougher for eligible individuals to access benefits.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, commented on Thursday that the Trump-GOP strategy is “all too familiar.”

“Tax breaks for billionaire donors; cuts to benefits for those on Social Security—this is how billionaires plunder our nation (aren’t they wealthy enough already?),” Whitehouse remarked on social media.

In an article published on Thursday, MSNBC‘s Ryan Teague Beckwith noted that “Republicans repeatedly return to the idea of cutting Social Security,” despite broad public opposition to such measures.

“Would Trump consider cutting Social Security? It’s difficult to predict. Over the years, he has taken every conceivable stance on Social Security—sometimes changing his position within a matter of hours,” Beckwith wrote, recalling Trump’s previous description of the program as a “massive Ponzi scheme” and his support for raising the retirement age.

“Therefore, if Republicans—or Musk—decide to propose changes to Social Security benefits,” Beckwith concluded, “it is conceivable that Trump might support such measures.”