The former Social Security commissioner Martin O’Malley has said the government department is on the brink of “total system collapse” under the Trump administration.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) currently pays out retirement, survivor and disability benefits to more than 70 million Americans. But recent changes made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its current commissioner have come under considerable scrutiny.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, O’Malley said: “The Musk/Trump co-presidency has already taken 90% of the actions necessary to drive Social Security into a total system collapse.”

Social Security Close to ‘Total System Collapse’: Ex-Head – Newsweek