Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is facing backlash following controversial remarks suggesting that only “fraudsters” complain when their Social Security checks go missing, while honest recipients like his elderly mother would simply wait for the issue to resolve itself.
Speaking on the popular “All-In” podcast earlier this week, Lutnick posited a scenario where the federal government failed to send out Social Security payments and claimed that only dishonest individuals would raise concerns.
“Let’s say Social Security didn’t send out their checks this month,” Lutnick said. “My mother who’s 94, she wouldn’t call and complain. She’d think something got messed up, and she’ll get it next month. A fraudster always makes the loudest noise, screaming, yelling, and complaining.”
Lutnick suggested that a useful strategy to detect fraudulent recipients is to halt payments and see who reacts, referencing Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), as the source of that approach. “Whoever screams is the one stealing,” Lutnick added. “Come on, your mother, 80-year-olds, 90-year-olds—they trust the government.”
The remarks immediately drew criticism from lawmakers and advocacy groups who said they were not only out of touch but also harmful to the millions of Americans who depend on Social Security benefits as their primary or only source of income.
Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was among the most vocal critics, calling Lutnick’s comments “insulting and disgraceful.”
“Secretary Lutnick: You are a billionaire,” Sanders wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Maybe your mother wouldn’t complain if she didn’t get her Social Security check, but tens of millions of seniors struggling to survive would. They’re not fraudsters. They earned it. How out of touch are you not to realize that?”
More than 70 million Americans currently receive Social Security benefits, including retirees, people with disabilities, and survivors of deceased workers. The program, created during the Great Depression by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, is primarily funded through payroll taxes and remains a vital safety net for older and low-income Americans.
Lutnick, who is estimated by Bloomberg to have a net worth exceeding $1.5 billion, served as the longtime CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, a financial services firm, before joining the Trump administration.
In his podcast appearance, Lutnick defended the administration’s goal of cutting waste from the federal government. “We don’t have to take one penny from someone who deserves Social Security,” he said. “What we have to do is stop sending money to someone who’s not hurt, who’s on disability for 50 years. It’s ridiculous.”
The White House has not issued an official response to Lutnick’s statements. On its website, the administration maintains that “President Trump Will Always Protect Social Security, Medicare,” stating: “The Trump Administration will not cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits. President Trump himself has said it (over and over and over again).”
However, concerns over the administration’s true intentions have intensified following comments from Elon Musk, who earlier this month labeled Social Security a “Ponzi scheme” during an interview on “The Joe Rogan Experience.” Musk has also spearheaded administrative changes requiring Social Security applicants to apply either online or in person, rather than by phone — a move critics say disproportionately burdens seniors and the disabled.
Advocacy organizations, including AARP, were quick to condemn Lutnick’s remarks. In a statement, AARP said, “To suggest that people who report missing checks are likely to be fraudsters is not only wrong but dangerous. Millions of Americans rely on their Social Security payments to pay rent, buy food, and afford medicine.”
John Cohen, a former DHS official and ABC News contributor, said the administration’s growing skepticism toward government benefit recipients is eroding trust and could deter legitimate beneficiaries from seeking help. “This type of rhetoric suggests that asking for what you’ve earned is somehow suspicious. It’s a disturbing narrative,” Cohen said.
Critics have also expressed concern that the Trump administration’s broader push for government “efficiency” under DOGE may disproportionately impact vulnerable populations. Lutnick and Musk have promoted aggressive cost-cutting reforms that have resulted in widespread layoffs, benefit policy changes, and increased scrutiny of public aid recipients.
“Efficiency doesn’t mean punishing those who need help the most,” said Carla Jenkins, a public policy analyst specializing in senior care. “Many people live paycheck to paycheck on Social Security. Missing one payment isn’t just an inconvenience—it can be life-threatening.”
While Lutnick attempted to distance his comments from any suggestion of policy change, his words come at a time of heightened political sensitivity around entitlement programs. Democrats in Congress have pledged to safeguard Social Security, while Republicans have proposed various reforms aimed at reducing the program’s costs.
The backlash over Lutnick’s comments adds to the mounting scrutiny the Trump administration faces over its handling of safety net programs, and whether its rhetoric signals a shift in priorities that could leave millions of Americans at risk.
As the administration continues to pursue its cost-cutting agenda, public confidence in the government’s ability to protect core programs like Social Security may become a critical issue in the upcoming election cycle.
