'Defend Social Security': Maddow calls attention to campaign to stop Trump admin

05 May

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow on May 5, 2025 (Image: Screengrab via MSNBC / YouTube)

The Social Security Administration (SSA) may have a new commissioner depending on the outcome of a Tuesday confirmation hearing. And members of Congress are loudly condemning the record of the man President Donald Trump has nominated for the role.

According to MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, SSA Commissioner-designate Frank Bisignano is a "DOGE guy," in reference to Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. And that has caused alarm among Democrats in Congress, who on Monday held a rally in Washington D.C. to defend Social Security.

"They know Congress would never allow them to take that money without a fight, unless they turned enough of the public against Social Security. So how do they do that? By wrecking its reputation with big lies," said former SSA commissioner Martin O'Malley, who led the agency during former President Joe Biden's administration. "Like illegal immigrants get benefits. They don't. They're prohibited. Big lies like there's a zombie apocalypse. There's no zombie apocalypse! Dead people do not get Social Security benefits. Big lies like it's a Ponzi scheme. Poppycock! It's not a Ponzi scheme. Bitcoin might be, but not Social Security."

"What we see in Frank Bisignano is somebody who is a DOGE crony," said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.)

"It's time this ends! We not only have to stop Social Security being cut, we have to expand it for the first time in more than 50 years," said Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.)

"I will be voting in favor of every American who counts on Social Security. I am a hard no on Frank Bisignano," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) "No way. I am not in favor of handing over the keys to our Social Security Administration to a man who says that he will do whatever Donald Trump wants, whatever Elon Musk wants, no matter how much it's there, just to help the billionaires and to take away from those who have paid into the Social Security system for years."

Currently, the SSA is being led by interim commissioner Leland Dudek. He replaced Michelle King, who Trump initially tapped to temporarily lead the agency before Bisignano's confirmation hearing. King resigned abruptly in February after refusing to hand over sensitive Social Security information to DOGE employees.

Watch Maddow's segment below, or by clicking this link.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

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