Trump, Social Security Fraud, And Public Opinion

At a news conference last week, President Trump’s comment that Ukraine should have “never started” the war with Russia got the most attention. But the president also spent time discussing what he described as fraud at the Social Security Administration (SSA). Reading from a piece of paper, he reeled off the numbers of people on the rolls over the age of 100 and even over 200. Does the public share Trump’s view that the program is riddled with fraud? Are millions of dead people receiving benefits? With all the drama, where is public opinion?

In a Pew Research Center poll last July, 53% had a favorable view of the SSA, and 32% an unfavorable one. The SSA ranked behind popular entities such as the Park Service, the Postal Service, and NASA. Republicans were split in their views, 45% favorable to 42% unfavorable. Democrats’ perspective was overwhelmingly favorable at 64%. An early 2025 Gallup poll found, however, that more Americans were dissatisfied (52%) than satisfied (42%) with the Social Security and Medicare systems. Gallup didn’t follow up and ask people more about their views, but both Democrats and Republicans reported low levels of satisfaction.

Most Americans don’t have immediate concerns about Social Security, although they have worried about the long-term solvency of the program for decades. When asked by AP/NORC in December about the problems they would like government to address now, 7% mentioned Social Security, far below immigration (47%), inflation (29%) and the economy in general (30%). A Reuters/Ipsos question last fall showed 86% concerned about adequate funding for Social Security.

In recent years, pollsters have been more interested in asking about election fraud than fraud in government programs. In a spring 2024 Kaiser Family Foundation question, however, 54% said fraud, waste and abuse were a major problem in the Social Security program, 35% a minor problem and 11% not a problem. Roughly the same proportion gave that response about fraud in private health insurance, and separately in Medicare and Medicaid.

Their January 2025 poll that asked about health care benefits (not Social Security payments, though the sentiments may be similar) found that 73% felt reducing waste and inefficiency would lead to major or minor reductions in overall spending. In a second question, 55% thought it would also lead to a reduction in the benefits people receive from the programs. In a YouGov poll from 2019, nearly half (46%) said Social Security fraud was “not very common” or “not at all common,” although 36% in another question said it was common for people to lie about their eligibility for the program.

Are millions of dead people getting benefits, as Trump suggested in his news conference? Is SSA rife with fraud? A 2023 report from Social Security Administration Inspector General noted potential issues with the accuracy of records in the database that Trump mentioned. Though 18.9 million Americans born before 1920 are listed in the records, the report said almost none of the deceased individuals were receiving benefits. The report also estimated that between 2015 and 2022 there were a substantial $72 billion in improper payments, mostly from overpayments.

By SSA’s own admission, then, there are serious problems, but Trump’s claims about death records do not appear to be the most serious. As for public opinion, his claims about Social Security fraud haven’t made a ripple in public opinion at this point, though they may have excited his base.

There are long-standing public concerns about government programs. In a new Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, 70% of self-identified registered voters said government expenditures are filled with waste, fraud and inefficiency while 30% said they were basically fair and reasonable. Sixty percent supported the goal of cutting $1 trillion in spending. In another question, 76% supported undertaking a full scale effort to reduce fraud and waste.

Are these just words or abstractions? I don’t think so, but enduring concerns don’t necessarily trump voters’ immediate worries, most notably inflation. And it’s possible that Trump’s promise that he won’t touch Social Security may by more important to voters now than their concerns about fraud. There is public skepticism about the sweeping nature of DOGE head Elon Musk’s actions and about Musk himself, and it may weaken support for his goals. The new Washington Post/Ipsos poll found that 37% thought he was cutting wasteful government spending and almost as many, 34%, cutting necessary programs. In the Harvard/Harris poll, 58% said DOGE employees should not have access to sensitive information on program beneficiaries, including 39% of Republicans.

In this new poll, 53% approved of Trump reducing the cost of government, ranking only behind his handling of immigration. Forty-five percent approved of his handling of inflation. That’s where Americans stand – for now.