Ex-Social Security commissioner predicts 'system collapse' due to Trump cuts in 90 days

Staffing cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) at the Social Security Administration could lead to more than 73 million retirees facing delayed payments or worse and a "system collapse" according to a former commissioner.

With senior officials at the agency being dumped by Donald Trump's administration as part of its government purge, and the department temporarily being headed by a former analyst with no management experience, CNN is reporting that ex-commissioner Martin O’Malley is raising red flags that it could all fall apart within 90 days.

Speaking with CNN, he warned, "Everything they’re doing is driving this agency to system collapse. It will lead to interruptions in service, and that will ultimately cascade into more frequent system interruptions for the processing of claims, ultimately leading to system collapse and eventually the interruption of benefits.”

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According to the CNN report, "... the [agency] overhaul lacks strategic planning, which could have serious ramifications for an agency that has never missed a benefits payment in its 90-year history, according to advocates and employees CNN interviewed. The focus is on swiftly shrinking Social Security’s staff with little thought given to making it function more efficiently or transferring the knowledge of those who depart, several said."

Jack Smalligan, who served in Office of Management and Budget (OMB) where he focused on Social Security, echoed O'Malley's concerns.

“We have a bunch of individuals with no or little experience in the operations of the agency trying to run one of the most important benefit programs in our country,” he explained. "The downsizing is happening in such an unstructured, unplanned manner, it puts the agency at special risk.”

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