About this episode
President Donald Trump and his ally Elon Musk have vowed to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse they say is rampant in the Social Security Administration, a federal program that provides more than 70 million Americans with retirement or disability income. But evidence of widespread fraud and abuse is scant, and cost-cutting at the agency has driven out experienced staff. As a result, the website is crashing, phone lines are clogged, and seniors are reporting difficulty getting the help they need to establish or update their benefits. Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Lisa Rein, who covers the Social Security Administration for The Washington Post, about how this agency has come under fire during the second Trump administration. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Maggie Penman and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here .