Trump allies are pushing the White Home to rein in Elon Musk’s media appearances as his assaults on Social Safety – which he known as “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time” – stoke considerations amongst lawmakers and constituents, in keeping with a report.
Although President Donald Trump has vowed that Social Safety will not be going wherever, Musk – the face of the federal government’s cost-slashing committee – has more and more slammed this system throughout media interviews.
“There is no daylight between the President and Elon Musk,” a White Home official advised The Publish in an announcement. “Continued attempts to sow division in the Trump Administration are desperate and amount to nothing.”
“President Trump has been clear, the only changes to Social Security will be the end of taxation on this benefit to those who worked hard to earn it,” they continued.
Throughout his look on Joe Rogan’s podcast in late February, Musk known as Social Safety “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.”
Only a few weeks later, he took goal on the fashionable authorities program once more throughout an interview with Fox Enterprise host Larry Kudlow.
“The waste and fraud in entitlement spending, which is most of the federal spending, is entitlements, so that’s the big one to eliminate,” Musk mentioned.
Some Trump allies – together with Wall Road bigwigs, company leaders and lawmakers – have contacted the White Home and even President Trump on to name for Musk to be taken off the air or extra scripted, in keeping with an NBC Information report citing nameless sources.
A Trump adviser advised NBC Information they had been conscious of “outside concern” round Musk’s feedback.
“Of course they don’t want their Social Security cut,” a White Home official advised the outlet. “So if they hear something on the news that Elon Musk is saying, that we should do something with Social Security — of course there might be some concerns. But the only concern they have to worry about is what the president of the United States is saying and what he’s doing.”
“We haven’t touched Social Security. We’re not going to touch Social Security,” they added.
White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt additionally doubled down on the president’s message that Social Safety is right here to remain.
However Musk’s feedback have nonetheless ruffled some feathers – particularly after the billionaire Tesla founder has efficiently taken a chainsaw to a number of authorities businesses.
“Without reforming Social Security and Medicare, both programs will collapse and take the government down with it,” a Republican lawmaker advised NBC. “But the last thing we need to talk about is disparaging the system. It’s not a Ponzi scheme, it’s just an entitlement program that needs to be reformed.”
“The more of these Musk interviews, the more discussion we’ll have,” they mentioned, including that the 2026 marketing campaign will possible be a referendum on Musk – with “ad after ad with the chainsaw.”
A consultant for Musk didn’t instantly reply to The Publish’s request for remark.
It’s a reference to the unforgettable picture of Musk wielding a chainsaw on stage on the Conservative Political Motion Convention final month, alongside President Javier Milei of Argentina.
However Musk’s DOGE has additionally symbolically taken an axe to what he has known as wasteful and fraudulent spending – slicing grants for the Division of Schooling and trying to shutter the US Company for Worldwide Improvement.
A federal decide final week blocked Musk’s shutdown of USAID and known as for workers to be reinstated.
Social Safety staffers advised NBC Information that Musk’s feedback on the entitlement program have worsened their considerations that the White Home will transfer to denationalise their division.
DOGE has closed some Social Safety places of work and tried to curtail phone companies so recipients should go in-person for assist making modifications.
These modifications have elevated wait occasions and might be significantly difficult for aged recipients, workers mentioned.
