In his first major public speech since leaving office, Biden focused on protecting welfare programs, and accused Donald Trump and his billionaire ally, Elon Musk, of “taking a hatchet” to the social security system, as they continue to dismantle key parts of the federal government.
“Fewer than 100 days, this administration has made so much, done so much damage and destruction. It’s kind of breathtaking it would happen that soon,” Biden told a conference in Chicago on Tuesday, without mentioning Trump by name.
‘Taking a hatchet’ to US welfare
Biden, 82, said he believed the issue was of critical importance to millions of his fellow Americans, especially retirees and disabled individuals, who fear the payments they depend on each month could be delayed or possibly even stopped altogether.
“The quote is: ‘Move fast, break things.’ They’re starting to break things. They’re shooting first and aiming later.”
“As a result, the results a lot of endless pain and sleepless nights,” Biden added.
What is the US benefits system and what has Trump cut?
The Social Security Agency (SSA) provides a base income for people in the US who are retired or cannot work because of a disability. It covers about 67 million Americans, primarily older citizens.
Democratic politicians have repeatedly accused the administration of planning sweeping social security cuts.
Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency has been making cuts to the agency since February, as part of plans to cut staff by 7,000 workers – 12 per cent of the workforce.
Musk has described social security as “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time”.
Trump has previously said that he intends to target fraudulent claims and payments to illegal immigrants and not make wholesale cuts to benefits.
On Tuesday, he signed an order preventing illegal immigrants and “other ineligible people” from obtaining social security payments.
“My friend, Governor O’Malley knows what they’re really up to. He says, and I love his quote, ‘they want to wreck it so, they can rob it’.”
“But now for the first time ever, that might change. It’d be a calamity for millions of families.”
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“Nobody’s king,” he said, reflecting on the nation’s ongoing divisions, and pointed out that about “30 percent” of the country “lacks compassion”—a comment that Trump supporters quickly took as an insult.
Earlier on Tuesday, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, mocked Biden’s age when asked about his upcoming speech.
Since leaving office, Biden has largely stayed at home in Delaware, though he has reportedly travelled to an office in Washington from time to time.
‘Sounding the alarm’ in protest
Biden’s speech was timed with a national protest over the Trump administration’s welfare policies.
Since Trump took office, Democrats have faced sharp criticism from supporters for failing to do enough to counter the current administration’s drastic policies.
In the state of Georgia, during a town hall of far-right Trump ally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, some protesters were escorted out by police and arrested for disrupting the event.
“We would like to know what you, as the people, the Congress, who are supposed to rein in this dictator, what are you going to do about it?” one man asked.
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