Trump says Social Security is stronger, but signs of trouble at the agency mount

President Trump signed a proclamation Thursday celebrating the 90th anniversary of Social Security and promoting the program's improvements under his leadership. Why it matters: Reports from inside the agency tell a different story. Social Security advocates are questioning whether the administration may be weighing changes to the popular program that would be harmful to its long-term success.Social Security "looks more threatened than ever," is how AP puts it.Tens of millions of Americans rely on Social Security benefits to make ends meet, and polling suggests it is the most popular government policy.The latest: "I made a sacred pledge to our seniors that I would always protect Social Security, and under this administration we're keeping that promise and strengthening Social Security for generations to come," Trump said on Thursday, speaking from the Oval Office. "It's going to be around a long time with us."He was joined by the commissioner of the Social Security Administration, Frank Bisignano, a former finance executive.Where it stands: The Social Security Administration, the agency that oversees the program, lost thousands of employees this year, including senior executives with deep understanding of how the program works.The field offices, Social Security's "front door" where the public goes for help to sign up for benefits, getting cards, etc., are facing a staffing crisis, per a recent report from the Strategic Organizing Center. Offices are down about 20% of staff this year, taking into account folks who've been transferred to work phone lines, per an Axios tally.Workers there are buckling under the strain of understaffing, they told Axios.The administration has a much more upbeat view. On Thursday, Trump said he saved the program. "Under Biden, Social Security went down like nobody's ever seen.""By massively improving the customer service experience through technological improvements, preventing illegal aliens from accessing benefits, and delivering no taxes on Social Security through the One Big Beautiful Bill — President Trump has Made Social Security Great Again," White House spokesperson Liz Huston said in a statement.Zoom in: While the White House and president have made supportive statements, there's been a drip of comments from administration officials and nominees suggesting that Social Security should be privatized and calling it a Ponzi scheme — a long-standing way conservatives have criticized the program."You keep hearing stories that in six years, seven years, Social Security will be gone, and it will be if the Democrats ever get involved, because they don't know what they're doing, but it's going to be around a long time with us," Trump said Thursday.Reality check: The tax cut for seniors in the "big, beautiful bill" will likely speed up the date when the program's trust funds will be depleted, according to the agency's actuary.That follows bipartisan legislation last year that also sped up that process.The depletion in the Social Security trust funds would lead to a cut in benefits — but not the end of the program.The other side: Bisignano touted improvements to customer service on Thursday, standing beside the president.He cited improvements to phone service wait times, a push toward more digital improvements at the agency and an effort to reduce fraud.Yes, but: Bisignano has removed many of the stats that the agency used to display on its website to track customer service, per the Washington Post. But according to data the agency has released this year, wait times for those trying to reach Social Security by phone have declined this year.Critics say that's a misleading measure — since improvements to how the phone lines work were put in place by the prior administration. That includes an appointment system and a call-back feature that makes it so folks don't have to stay on hold for long time periods.This story has been updated with remarks from President Trump.

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