Social media lit up Friday after President Donald Trump's commerce secretary Howard Lutnick made what some saw as insensitive comments about the hot-button topic of Social Security.
Everyone from average Americans to members of Congress have expressed fears that Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is focusing in on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid as it continues to slash "waste, fraud, and abuse," from the federal government. Trump has insisted the entitlements won't be touched.
But the Trump administration recently made threats that could impact Social Security payments. Acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek, appointed under the Trump administration, suggested shutting down the Social Security Administration entirely in response to a federal judge's ruling that restricted access to sensitive SSA data by DOGE. Such a move could potentially delay or halt payments to millions of Americans who rely on Social Security benefits, including retirees, disabled individuals, and others.
Lutnick, a billionaire who recently gobsmacked conflict-of-interest watchdogs by promoting Musk's Tesla stock on Fox News, added to the controversy, telling the "All-In in DC!" podcast: "Let's say Social Security didn't send out their checks this month. My mother-in-law, who's 94, she wouldn't call and complain. She just wouldn't. She'd think something got messed up and she'll get it next month."
Social media critics were floored by his flippant remark.
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"Lutnick and Musk will high five this but even Trump knows it's big trouble," journalist John Harwood posted to X.
Bloomberg's Joe Weisenthal posted, "Howard Lutnick says that if Social Security didn't send out a check one month, his mother-in-law wouldn't call in and complain, and then says that if you're the type who *would* whine loudly about such a thing, that's an indicator of being a fraudster."
"I assumed the tweet was going to be twisting his words a little, but no. This is maybe the worst political messaging I have ever seen," wrote reporter Jordan Weissmann.
"Narrator: But other complaints, millions of them, came in. And they haven't stopped," posted former CNN anchor Jim Acosta, while the conservative The Lincoln Project wrote, "WTF. This is insane. For so many seniors, there would be no money for food, rent, or prescriptions without their Social Security check. @howardlutnick says if they complain about missing a check, they're a fraudster."
On Bluesky, The Meidas Touch called Lutnick's comments "insane."
According to the National Institute on Retirement Security, some 40 percent of older Americans rely solely on Social Security for retirement income. The estimated average retirement benefit for January 2025 was $1,976, according to the Social Security Administration website.
Watch the clip below via the All-In in DC! podcast.
