Former President Joe Biden launched a critique of Donald Trump and Elon Musk during his inaugural speech since leaving office.
Biden was the keynote speaker at the Advocates, Counsellors, and Representatives for the Disabled conference held in Chicago on April 15.
In a passionate address, the 82-year-old questioned, “Who in the hell do they think they are?” as he targeted Trump, Republicans, and the tech industry for their roles in undermining Social Security.
“Why are these guys targeting Social Security now?” he asked. “They’re following that old mantra from tech startups: ‘move fast, break things.’ They’re shooting first and aiming later.”
While refraining from mentioning Trump or Musk directly, Biden accused them of causing “needless pain and sleepless nights.”
He referenced Martin O’Malley, who served as Commissioner of the Social Security Administration during his presidency, stating, “My friend Gov. O’Malley knows their true intentions. He says, and I love this quote, ‘they want to wreck it so they can rob it.'” Biden criticized their motives, claiming they seek to “rob” Social Security to provide massive tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations.
In his introduction of Biden, O’Malley took aim at Trump and Musk, asserting that they had “gutted the Social Security Administration with a chainsaw,” leading to the largest staff exodus the agency has ever experienced.
He also debunked the misconception that undocumented immigrants were draining Social Security, noting that it is already illegal for them to receive benefits.