On April 15 local time, former U.S. President Joe Biden made his first public speech since leaving office, directly criticizing the policies and governance of the succeeding administration. He harshly criticized the Trump administration for causing "astonishing damage" in less than 100 days and emphasized that the current federal administrative efficiency and social security system are facing severe challenges.
"In less than 100 days, the new administration has caused such massive damage and destruction. It's shocking," Biden stated in his speech. He pointed out that large-scale federal government layoffs have directly affected the normal operations of the Social Security Administration (SSA), leading to its website crashing, with tens of thousands of Americans unable to access their accounts.
Biden underscored the importance of maintaining the social security system and took the opportunity to mock the Trump administration's exaggerated accusations regarding social security abuse. He quipped, "By the way, those who are 300 years old and still collecting social security, I would like to meet them. That's really interesting, folks. I've been looking for the secret to longevity."
This remark directly targets the Trump administration's previous claims about a large number of "elderly ghost population" within the U.S. social security system. According to CBS, the head of the U.S. Department of Efficiency, Elon Musk, released data on February 17, stating that up to 1.34 million individuals were marked as "alive" in the social security database, many over 150 years old, with one registered as over 360 years old. Trump also publicly claimed that there are people who are 100, 200, even 300 years old continuously receiving social benefits.
Currently, under Musk's leadership, the U.S. Department of Efficiency is advancing a large-scale layoff reform involving multiple federal agencies. According to CNN, the Social Security Administration alone plans to lay off 7,000 people, about 12% of its total workforce. This move has led to several legal lawsuits, with widespread concern over its potential impact.
Biden's speech is interpreted as a systemic counterattack against the current federal governance model and marks his first public involvement in public affairs since leaving office. As the controversy over the social security system continues to ferment, the direction of related policies and public response is expected to continue to influence U.S. politics and social discourse.
