Biden Criticizes Trump’s Administration in Chicago Speech
Joe Biden's first speech since leaving office critiques Trump’s welfare reforms and calls for protection of Social Security, a promise Biden views as sacred.
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Biden left office in January with one of the lowest approval ratings for a president after the second world war, at 38 percent, according to an opinion poll by Reuters/Ipsos, after a four-year term marked by high inflation, foreign policy contention and questions about his mental acuity.
Biden blasts Trump’s domestic policies in first post-presidency address
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Biden left office with a low popularity rating due to the rise in illegal immigration and inflation during his term.
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Biden has used his first speech since leaving office to criticise the Trump administration's welfare policies.
Joe Biden gives first speech since leaving White House
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While President Donald Trump ran on protecting Social Security, Biden sought to take up the mantle of Social Security’s defender on stage in Chicago.
Biden Highlights Social Security in Post-Presidential Speech
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That might sound harsh, but frankly, his self-centered mentality has already done so much damage to the Democratic Party and the country that he certainly owes us some belated humility.
In his first post-presidency speech, Biden alleges Trump has 'taken a hatchet' to Social Security
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Yet the Trump administration’s assault on the agency has left it in turmoil.
Joe Biden accuses Trump and Musk of taking ‘hatchet’ to social security
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Biden criticized the effects of the personnel cuts at the agency, saying that “already we can see the effects, for example, thousands of people who use the Social Security website every single day to check on their benefits and submit their claims.”
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However, if you were expecting the former president to sound the call and rally the troops to resist his predecessor and successor’s attacks on the separation of powers and the rule of law, today’s remarks might be a case of too little too late.
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Biden’s decision to speak out against the current administration runs counter to the tradition that former presidents stay out of the public eye to voice criticisms in the early months of a succeeding administration.
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Democrats have seized on layoffs and upheaval at the Social Security Administration to fight Trump's efforts to dramatically downsize the federal government through the Musk-led DOGE, which has pushed widespread federal cuts and job reductions.
In return to national stage, Biden accuses Trump of 'taking a hatchet' to Social Security
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Democrats have been sounding the alarm on potential cuts to Social Security for months, which they fear will be used to subsidize tax cuts for the wealthy.
Declaring 'nobody's king,' former President Biden unleashes on Trump, Musk over Social Security cuts
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Biden's keynote address, which ran less than an hour, overwhelmingly focused on his accomplishments with Social Security when he was president, taking aim at how the Trump administration is allegedly keeping the elderly up at night with worry over their Social Security benefits, as well as cracking a few jokes about his decades in politics.
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Biden sees that promise at risk, he elaborated, not just from spurious fraud claims but other Trump White House actions—like mass firings at the already understaffed agency, and service cuts leading to growing lines and access burdens at the Social Security Administration’s remaining offices.
In First Post-Presidency Speech, Biden Calls to Treat Disabled People With Dignity
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Biden more broadly took aim at Trump's tenure so far, saying that in “fewer than 100 days, this new administration has made so much ... damage and so much destruction.
Biden goes after Trump on Social Security in his first public post-presidency speech
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Biden Surfaces, Defends Social Security Amid Staff Cuts
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Biden also faces blame from some progressives who argue he shouldn’t have sought a second term.
WATCH LIVE: Biden speaks out to protect Social Security in high-profile address after leaving office
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Summary
In his first major address since leaving office, Joe Biden criticized the Trump administration's proposed cuts to Social Security during a speech at the ACRD conference in Chicago. Without naming Trump directly, Biden condemned the administration's actions as "breathtakingly destructive," particularly referencing planned staff cuts to the Social Security Administration which he described as a "hatchet job." He emphasized the importance of Social Security, labeling it a "sacred promise" and warned that these changes could jeopardize benefits for millions of Americans. Biden's remarks coincide with rising concerns about job cuts and reforms under Trump's administration led by allies like Elon Musk.
Perspectives
Biden's first public remarks since leaving office criticized the Trump administration's early actions as destructive, particularly highlighting severe cuts to Social Security and their psychological impact on beneficiaries.
He described the increasing division in America, warning that the nation has never been this split and emphasizing the need for fairness and honesty in politics.
Biden pointedly refuted comments from Trump's associates regarding Social Security, asserting that benefits are earned by American workers and that they should not be treated as disposable.
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