Staff Reports
In a peculiar turn of events, the Trump administration has found itself at the center of a minor controversy over the presumed presence of hundreds of years’ worth of senior citizens raking in Social Security benefits. President Donald Trump and tech mogul Elon Musk recently took to social media to raise the alarm about what they described as an alarming trend of payments being funneled to those allegedly living well into their second and third centuries. If anyone thought Social Security was merely a safety net for hardworking Americans, this bizarre claim might just make them question everything they thought they knew.
Trump’s wild claim that Social Security is being exploited by “millions and millions of people over 100 years old” is certainly grabbing headlines. He suggested that these older-than-dirt individuals are obviously fraudulent—and who could argue with that level of deductive reasoning? After all, the mere thought of a 300-year-old receiving Social Security checks is enough to send chills down the spine of any rational taxpayer. Quick, someone check if they prefer their checks direct-deposited into a crypt!
Tens of millions of dead people aren’t getting Social Security checks, despite Trump and Musk claims https://t.co/eU0iQmD0Zi pic.twitter.com/bfL2yTezTl
— FOX8 WGHP (@myfox8) February 19, 2025
Musk didn’t hold back either, humorously speculating whether Twilight Zone-like vampires are pocketing benefits that truly should be preserved for living Americans. His wild imaginings took a sharp turn towards the absurd, implying that scores of deceased individuals are somehow still on the rolls of Social Security. While his creativity in connecting the dots may be commendable in a sci-fi novel, reality has a way of debunking the most theatrical tales.
The reality, according to reports, is that improper payments—including some to deceased individuals—do happen, but the figures paraded by Musk and Trump are dramatically exaggerated. The Social Security Administration’s own inspector general reported that between 2015 and 2022, almost $8.6 trillion in benefits were distributed, with only a paltry $71.8 billion—less than one percent—classified as improper payments. Most errors were related to living people rather than vampires from ages past, a crucial detail likely lost in the melodrama.
The confusion stems largely from the antiquated technology the Social Security Administration employs, particularly a relic system known as COBOL. This archaic programming doesn’t handle dates well, much like an outdated calendar that runs on the eras of the dinosaurs. Therefore, if Social Security’s database encounters incomplete vital information, it resorts to odd defaults, leading to the tall tales of 150-year-old recipients. The agency’s reluctance to fork out the $9 million needed for updates to their database only adds to the circus, leaving frugal taxpayers scratching their heads at what passes for efficient government operation.
Despite the drama, expert insights indicate that Social Security isn’t even close to the top of the list when it comes to federal mismanagement and waste. While the online chatter suggests the budget woes can be easily solved by eliminating these mythical elderly recipients, the actual truth is much more convoluted and, dare it be said, boring. Instead of chasing after phantom seniors, experts suggest tackling larger problems in areas like Medicaid, which presents far greater challenges in terms of improper payments.
The irony in all of this is the notion that by overselling claims of 300-year-old vampires collecting government benefits, both Trump and Musk may inadvertently mislead the public into thinking there’s a quick fix for Social Security’s financial issues. In reality, solving the system’s solvency would require a far more robust and nuanced approach than simply kicking imaginary zombies off the rolls. Nevertheless, if their antics evoke an eye-roll or a chuckle, at least they are keeping the conversation lively—if not somewhat outrageous.
