Social Security Is in Danger—And So Is Our Right to Talk About It

If you’ve survived dial-up internet, LimeWire, and at least three “once-in-a-lifetime” economic crashes, you’ve probably been told one thing about your future: Social Security will be there for you.

Well, that promise is on shakier ground than Trump’s Atlantic City casino—and if we’re not paying attention, it could collapse just as fast.

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Same Trump, New Jenga Tower

In 2020, then-President Trump temporarily suspended payroll taxes—the primary funding source for Social Security. He didn’t stop there. At an August 2020 press briefing, he said:

“If I’m victorious on November 3rd, I plan to forgive these taxes and make permanent cuts to the payroll tax.”

Now, in his second term, President Trump is at it again—this time with more power to follow through. His administration is pursuing tax policies that would severely undermine the Social Security system. One of the most striking examples: Trump is working to eliminate income taxes for individuals making under $150,000 a year, which could gut the federal revenue base and destabilize Social Security’s funding model.

As Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick put it in a March 2025 interview:

“I know what [Trump’s] goal is: No tax, for anybody who makes less than $150,000 a year. That’s his goal. That’s what I’m working for.”

(Newsweek)

And it doesn’t stop there. Senate Republicans just passed a budget framework that paves the way for cuts to payroll taxes, tips, overtime pay, and even Social Security benefits—using budget reconciliation to ram through these changes.

(New York Post)

You can’t claim to protect benefits while simultaneously defunding them. That’s like saying you love your house while setting fire to the foundation.

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Market Volatility: A Symptom of Policy Uncertainty

Trump’s economic policies are already shaking markets. On April 2, 2025—what some are calling “Liberation Day”—Trump announced sweeping tariffs that impacted nearly every corner of the U.S. economy. The fallout? The Dow Jones plunged 4,000 points in just two days—the worst back-to-back decline in its history.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned there’s now a 50% chance of recession. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink called the tariffs “beyond anything I could have imagined,” citing global instability and persistent uncertainty as red flags for economic growth.

These self-inflicted shocks affect real people—and they have direct consequences on the long-term health of programs like Social Security.

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The Trust Fund Is Running Out—and That’s Not a Conspiracy

According to the 2024 Social Security Trustees Report, the trust fund is on track to be depleted by 2033 if no changes are made. When that happens, benefits will be slashed by about 21%—automatically.

And this isn’t just about retirees. Social Security helps over 66 million Americans, including people with disabilities, widowed spouses, and children. This is a system we’ve all paid into, and one we all have a stake in protecting.

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“Just Privatize It,” They Say—What Could Go Wrong?

Some of Trump’s closest economic allies, like Stephen Moore, are still dreaming about privatizing Social Security. Translation: tying your retirement to the ups and downs of Wall Street.

Sound familiar? That plan was pushed by George W. Bush in 2005—and it went down in flames after massive public backlash. Now it’s creeping back, wrapped in euphemisms like “modernization” or “choice.”

Don’t fall for it.

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Insider Trading Allegations: A Symptom of a Larger Problem

While working Americans fret over Social Security’s future, some lawmakers seem to be playing a different game entirely. Take Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has faced scrutiny for timely stock trades—like buying defense and energy stocks just before major global conflicts.

With Trump’s policies directly causing market whiplash, Greene and others are under renewed suspicion. It raises a simple question: Who’s benefiting from the chaos? This is a problem on both sides, to say the least.

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What We Can Actually Do

This isn’t about doomscrolling. It’s about action.

Ask every candidate—local, state, or national—how they plan to protect Social Security. Don’t settle for vague promises like “we won’t touch benefits” unless they also have a concrete plan to fund them.

And if you hear someone casually talking about “cutting payroll taxes”? Just know: that’s the fast lane to defunding Social Security. Full stop.

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And One More Thing: Free Speech Matters, Too

There’s a disturbing pattern where the same people pushing cuts to your benefits are also working to silence dissent. Free speech isn’t just about shouting in the town square—it’s about having the right to question power, criticize policy, and demand better.

So no, I’m not going to stop writing. I’m not going to stop podcasting. And I’m definitely not going to stop calling BS when I see it.

Because if we can’t talk about what’s being taken from us, we’ll never be able to stop it.

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Bottom Line

Social Security isn’t a handout. It’s a promise. A deal we’ve all paid into and have every right to count on. But that deal is being chipped away—quietly, deliberately, and under the radar.

We don’t have to let that happen. Not on our watch.

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Want to stay informed and hear more conversations like this? Check out my podcast, Spent the Rent Podcast, where we break down the stories that matter—with truth, humor, and zero corporate fluff.

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