Former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley doubled down on his warning that beneficiaries could stop receiving payments because of the destruction wrought by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“I truly believe there’s going to be some interruption of benefits for some period of time, and I believe that will probably happen in the very near future,” O’Malley said at a Social Security town hall in Nassau County on Monday, according to the Long Island Press.
“I’ve never hoped I was wrong so much in my life,” he added.
In March, O’Malley—who served as the agency’s commissioner under former President Joe Biden—predicted interruptions to Social Security payments “within the next 30 to 90 days.”
“Ultimately, you’re going to see the system collapse, and there will be an interruption of benefits,” he told CNBC.
Earlier this month, O’Malley sounded the alarm again, telling the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee that “the Trump co-presidency is gutting this agency.”
Under Musk’s direction, DOGE has pushed for sweeping cuts at the Social Security Administration (SSA), announcing in February that it would slash 7,000 jobs—including half of the agency’s technology team—because of “bloat.”
The changes have thrown SSA into chaos. The SSA website crashed several times this month, and 47 field offices across the country have been slated for closure. The SSA threatened to cut phone services before reversing course amid backlash.
Reps. Laura Gillen and Tom Suozzi, both Democrats from New York, joined O’Malley at Monday’s town hall.
“Why would you cut 7,000 employees to save 0.06 percent of the budget from one of the most important agencies?” Suozzi asked.
According to the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, administrative costs account for less than 1 percent of the SSA’s spending.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” Suozzi said.
The Long Island Press said that more than 200 constituents attended the town hall. Many voiced fears about their benefits and retirement security as well as the state of the economy.
“I would not normally come to a forum like this,” Trish Burr-Peters, 71, said. “I’m also here because I want Gillen and Suozzi to know that people really do care, and, if they needed us to do something, I would do it. What’s happening now is nothing to ignore.”
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