Biden slams Trump policies in Chicago speech

Former US President Joe Biden sharply criticised the Trump administration’s overhaul of the Social Security Administration, accusing it of inflicting serious harm to millions of Americans dependent on federal benefits.

Speaking at the national conference of Advocates, Counselors and Representatives for the Disabled (ACRD), Biden condemned recent staffing and policy changes driven by the Department of Government Efficiency, overseen by tech billionaire Elon Musk.

“Fewer than 100 days in, this administration has done so much damage. It’s breathtaking,” Biden said, referring to cuts that have reportedly led to the dismissal of more than 7,000 staff from the agency.

Though he did not name Trump directly, Biden’s remarks targeted the administration’s approach to federal governance, likening it to the tech sector’s “move fast, break things” mentality.

“They’re breaking things,” he said. “They’re shooting first and aiming later.”

The agency is undergoing a reorganisation that includes halving its tech division, leading to claims of website crashes and delays in benefit processing.

Biden suggested that Republicans are intentionally undermining the system to justify siphoning funds for tax cuts.

“They want to wreck it so they can rob it,” he said, referencing the 2017 tax law.

He also warned of a deeply divided nation, singling out what he called a “30 percent” of the population with “no heart.”

His remarks were part policy critique, part defence of a programme that supports over 73 million people.

The Social Security Administration denied Biden’s claims, stating that President Trump has pledged to protect the programme and that recent investments have aimed to improve services.

As Democrats prepare protests nationwide, Biden’s remarks signal renewed scrutiny over Republican plans for federal entitlement reform.