'Bloodbath': Trump's new Social Security chief prepares to fire up to 50% of employees

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: msn/Alternet

10h


The new acting administrator of the Social Security Administration (SSA) is now announcing that he's carrying out "significant workforce reductions" at the critical agency that oversees trillions of dollars in payments to tens of millions of beneficiaries.

According to a Thursday article in the American Prospect, Leland Dudek, who took over as acting administrator after Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) forced out the initial acting administrator earlier this month, has ordered all SSA managers present him with plans to reduce their respective headcounts by up to 50%. The email Dudek sent Thursday evening announcing "agency-wide organizational restructuring" does not indicate any plans to deviate from that goal. The SSA currently employs roughly 60,000 people), who process benefits for more than 71 million Americans as of 2023.

Dudek's email gives all SSA employees a deadline of March 14 to decide whether to retire early, resign or seek what Propsect executive editor David Dayen referred to as "voluntary reassignments." Workers aged 50 and up who have been with the agency for at least 20 years are reportedly being offered an "early out" voluntary retirement, which is a quicker timeline than that generally offered to employees of other federal agencies.

MSNBC host Chris Hayes responded to the news of Dudek's email by tweeting: "Just to be clear, these count as 'cuts to Social Security!' If you cut the way the program is administered, you're cutting it!" And Social Security Works executive director Alex Lawson told the Prospect that the mass firings of Social Security workers amount to "Wall Street and the billionaires destroying Social Security so they can give themselves trillions in tax handouts." "The ongoing bloodbath at the Social Security Administration has only one goal: the total annihilation of Social Security," Lawson said.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/other/bloodbath-trump-s-new-social-security-chief-prepares-to-fire-up-to-50-of-employees/ar-AA1zWNNg

[Lovie777]

1. This needs to stop....

and apparently shithole musk republicans truly believe they are the law.

[TimeToGo]

9. No one will fight

Money approved by Congress. Workers are civil service. But sure, whatever you want to do, Musk.

[Magoo48]

34. Considering it is 0ur billions in tax money they are footballing all about,

Apparently, not one fucking nickel of it was invested in an oversight department with an incorruptible policing branch designed with one purpose in mind: when we are being fucked and robbed , not necessarily in that order, by our own government officials, it will then step in and stop the rape and PROTECT us.

If we survive this fascist bullshit, we should make sure this can never happen again. And, for right now, if we don’t stop it, and nobody else will, then we deserve it.

[rampartd]

2. it is impossible to talk to a human now.

they need to add people at the local offices.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. I bet Musk will present this as "50% of employees, but we're making 90% of payments, so that's much more efficient"

ignoring the 10% of people whose lives are ruined because it's their non-straightforward cases that take the effort. This is, after all, how he runs Twitter - ignore the bits that need work (eg getting rid of Nazis) and just say "it still works, mostly".

[cstanleytech]

4. The Republicans are going to get slaughtered at the polls at the Federal, State and maybe even County level.

[Scrivener7]

6. But will that be too late? They're purging the military so only Mump supporters are left, and

taking over control of the satellite communications.

Looks like Gilead won't be far behind.

[paleotn]

13. If it comes to that, we're leaving. Feel free to join us.

Framingham Mass Town Hall. When asked about secession, Elizabeth Warren stated for the record she believes in the Constitution. During photos, she admitted secession warrants further discussion.

If we left, I don't think Texas or Mississhitty would care. Well.....bye.

[Autumn]

17. I am beginning to doubt that.

[Ray Bruns]

5. Everyone hang on because here it comes!

[bucolic_frolic]

7. I would guess likely reduced ability to appeal anything, everything decided by AI

in other words, most everything denied.

[Kid Berwyn]

8. We couldn't fire DeJoy.

Musk does whatever he wants.

Weird.

[IronLionZion]

10. There was a time when Social Security was called the third rail that no one dared to touch

because they would instantly get fried.

[sakabatou]

11. And then they'll scramble to hire people back

[JJJ123]

31. They will hire Contract Employees

Those employees will be from elon's companies and those like him.

[sakabatou]

36. Untrained, incompetent, idiots who will fuck things up.

[Historic NY]

12. They are already closing offices here in NY.

[paleotn]

14. They're not just touching the "3rd rail". They're jumping up and down on it.

What could possible go wrong?

Then again.....Old Napoleon maxim...."When your opponent is making a mistake, don't interfere. That's bad manners." Painful, yes, but maybe that's what this country needs to shock it out of its current bout of stupidity.

[Mysterian]

15. We are witnessing crimes against the American people

It is past time for leaders o the Democratic party to tell republicans they will be held accountable for their crimes against the people. A majority of the American people do not support the deranged trump criminal regime.

[DENVERPOPS]

16. I keep telling you folks

they will intentionally keep pushing, until we revolt, as part of their plan. The Republicans, Trump, and especially Putin would love nothing more than to egg us on to revolting by means of large demonstrations, so that they can invoke the Insurrection Act and bring Marshall law to the nation, completely ignoring the Posse Comatatus Act.

And once that is done, the U.S. will be exactly like Russia, China, NKorea, etc

[orangecrush]

23. Martial law

This isn't Russia or China.

We need large scale protests to let them know we mean business.

[Evolve Dammit]

35. Martial Law

[patphil]

18. Businesses have always resented Social Security since they are taxed to help fund it.

Musk calls us all parasites...all 71 million of us, even though Social Security is funded by each of us and our employers.
We rely on the money we get from Social Security to pay our bills; to survive.
The rich aren't willing to allow us to do that. They pay thousands into Social Security for each employee, and stand to make billions if that tax ends.
This kind of shit is what rebellions are made of.
I don't advocate it, but I understand that when you mess with people's basic needs for survival, then you are rolling the dice as far as your future well being is concerned.
There will be blood if Social Security is destroyed.

The big question is, "where are the Republican in Congress, and why are they allowing this to happen?"

[Hekate]

29. It's our money, taken out of OUR paychecks. Never forget that fact. Businesses can resent ...

…their contribution all they want — but right up front, our payroll stubs show (or your printouts or whatever) that the workers are taxed for Social Security, among other things.

Don’t ever let them tell you it’s an “entitlement that should be means-tested” — that’s just their code for “welfare, only if you’re poor enough and only if we think you deserve it. “

[Journeyman]

33. "Social Security" protects the social order . . .

When classes of people begin to starve in the dark, when they die freezing in homes they cannot sustain, only then will the willfully blind begin to see how much social order is dependent on the security of all.

Only then will they realize again the hell we sought to suppress when we fought and marched in ’35.

[Owens]

19. This is what will happen---

Homeless seniors (including veterans) and disabled people, assistive living centers shutting down, hospitals overcrowded, kids starving, it will be a domino effect. Then Dudeck will blame the Democrats for this.

[Bengus81]

20. Blame away Dudeck it won't work.Everyone knows where Dems stand on SS and Medicare now

and since 1935/1965.

[Beartracks]

21. Congress, in the hands of Republicans, doesn't mind being cucked and neutered by the unelected Musk.

It's just effing stupid and dangerous in a democratic republic that's SUPPOSED to have three co-equal branches of government. Did Republicans just decide to give up the power of the purse because that saying has the word "purse" in it?

===============

[Raftergirl]

22. Waiting to hear MAGA cheering this on. I'm sure they don't care if they don't get their SS.

[Akoto]

24. As a disabled person receiving SSI and Medicaid, I'm looking for work from home against doc's advice at this point. nt

[Cheezoholic]

26. I am in that boat. I'm waiting to go in front of a SS judge. I've pretty much given up hope now n/t

[Initech]

25. Trump and Musk are totally out of their fucking minds.

[louis-t]

27. How long before Elon finds "fraud" and says

he should be in charge of the trillions of dollars?

[JJJ123]

30. Part of the Plan

That's part of the plan, so that elon and a lot of little elons can get their hands on all of that money to "manage" with appropriate fees of course. In the meantime, they will agree to add replacement staff on a contract basis. Guess who will get those contracts.

[creeksneakers2]

28. The number of employees there was already at a 27 year low.

[moniss]

32. Bottom line is that

when they take the next step of "suspending" payments because they think someone is "fraudulent" the personnel to handle any appeal will be overwhelmed and your "case" may take a very, very, very long number of months to review.

[ancianita]

37. More about this guy Dudek...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leland_Dudek

He was described by the Washington Post as "an IT expert with a zeal for eliminating fraud".[2] He had previously worked in the Social Security's anti-fraud office as a management analyst and advisor, but he was put on administrative leave after he broke the agency chain of command to cooperate with DOGE. He was also suspected of violating agency protocols and ethical standards of conduct.[3][4][5]

In his first major act, Dudek closed the entire Deputy Commissioner level component he previously worked at, and moved the executives who previously suspended him. This move reassigned thousands of SSA employees and resulted in the demotion and reassignment of those investigating Dudek’s alleged actions. SSA’s internal council suspected that Dudek had violated the strict information disclosure laws SSA uses to protect individuals information.[2][6]

On February 24, 2025 Dudek emailed Social Security Administration employees informing them he had fired 14 of their coworkers (representing .0002 of the Social Security workforce of 60,000 employees) and they should be proud.

As acting commissioner, Dudek will head up the SSA until Frank Bisignano, President Trump's nomination, is confirmed.[7]

[dalton99a]

38. +1. Dudek is a sadistic sociopath like Musk and Trump.

[dalton99a]

39. Musk wants the elderly and disabled to die while waiting on the phone for help.

Or waiting in line: