Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent raised eyebrows Tuesday during an appearance on Fox News, suggesting widespread federal government fraud could be far more extensive than previously thought.
His comments come as the Trump administration intensifies its efforts to identify and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse, particularly within the Social Security Administration (SSA).
“When I came in, you know, we all think there’s waste, there’s abuse. I think there may be some real fraud here,” Bessent said, hinting at the potential for significant financial mismanagement.
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His remarks followed a Monday evening statement by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who sought to clarify the administration’s goals amid growing criticism from Democrats and media outlets.
Leavitt appeared on Fox News’ Hannity to address concerns about President Donald Trump’s directive to Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to investigate potential fraud within the SSA.
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“President Trump has directed Elon Musk and the DOGE team to identify fraud at the Social Security Administration,” Leavitt said. “They haven’t dug into the books yet, but they suspect that there are tens of millions of deceased people who are receiving fraudulent Social Security payments.”
The announcement has sparked a firestorm of controversy, with Democrats and critics accusing the administration of fearmongering and overreach. The backlash intensified after Musk posted a chart on X showing anomalies in the Social Security database, including records of individuals listed as being up to 369 years old.
The SSA has long struggled with inaccuracies in its records. A July 2023 audit by the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General revealed that approximately 18.9 million individuals born in 1920 or earlier had no death information on file, despite the likelihood that many of them are deceased.
This followed a 2015 audit that identified 6.5 million people with Social Security numbers but no recorded death information.
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Leavitt emphasized that the administration’s goal is to protect the integrity of the Social Security system for hardworking Americans.
“Number one, to identify duplicate payments and to end them. Number two, to identify payments that are going to deceased people who are no longer living and should no longer be receiving that money,” she explained. “Number three, to protect the integrity of this system for hardworking Americans who have been paying into it their entire lives.”
She also pushed back against what she called “legacy fake news media” attempts to spread fear. “Do not buy into the lies from the legacy fake news media who are trying to fear you and scare you into believing otherwise,” Leavitt said. “This is what we’ve seen them do about President Trump for years with every promise that he has made. He’s going in there to protect your hard-earned money. That is the ultimate goal.”
While the administration’s efforts have been praised by fiscal conservatives, Democrats, media, and advocacy groups have expressed outrage. Critics argue that the involvement of Elon Musk and the DOGE team, known for its unconventional approach, could lead to unnecessary disruptions in Social Security services.
“This kind of fearmongering doesn’t help anybody—but it tells me that people are worried that they’re part of the waste, fraud, and abuse,” Bessent remarked, addressing the pushback.
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