US President Donald Trump has marked the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act, signing a proclamation and pledging to "always protect Social Security" while promoting what he described as his administration’s successes in strengthening the programme.
Speaking at the White House on Thursday alongside Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano, Trump claimed his recently signed "One Big Beautiful Bill" had eliminated taxes on Social Security benefits for seniors and improved the programme’s financial outlook.
"During the campaign, I made a pledge to our seniors that I would always protect Social Security, and under this administration, we’re keeping that promise and strengthening Social Security for generations to come," Trump said.
Refuting the allegations
However, analysts and official reports challenge several of his assertions.
Trump’s claim that seniors "will no longer pay taxes" on Social Security is inaccurate.
The legislation increases the federal income tax deduction for seniors by $6,000 from 2025 to 2028 — double for joint filers — but will benefit less than half of older Americans, according to the nonpartisan Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.
The biggest savings will go to seniors earning between $80,000 and $130,000 annually, with an average tax cut of $1,100.
On the programme’s solvency, Trump said Social Security would no longer "go bust" within a decade.
But the latest trustees’ report projects that by 2034, unless Congress acts, the programme will only be able to pay 81 percent of scheduled benefits.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget warns that the tax cuts in Trump’s legislation could move that date forward by one or two years.
Trump also highlighted service improvements at the Social Security Administration, citing shorter call wait times and reduced disability claims backlogs.
Yet the agency has reduced the number of public performance metrics, making verification difficult.
Current figures show fewer than half of calls (47.1 percent) are answered within two hours.
Some advocacy groups have raised concerns over proposed changes to identity verification that could make access harder for seniors, though the agency has revised its plans after criticism.
The anniversary proclamation recommitted to defending Social Security and Medicare against fraud and abuse, and to preserving them for US citizens who paid into the programs.
