‘Betrayed’: Former SSA head Martin O’Malley says system will collapse, rips Trump Administration
WOULD LOSE THEIR BENEFITS FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME. YEAH. MARTIN O’MALLEY IS A FORMER MAYOR OF BALTIMORE, A FORMER GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND AND A FORMER DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE. BUT HIS MOST RELEVANT POSITION IN THIS MOMENT IS FORMER COMMISSIONER OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION. AND HE SAT DOWN WITH 11 NEWS INVESTIGATES THIS MORNING AS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND DOGE TAKE AIM AT THE AGENCY. HE USED TO LEAD. YOU LED THESE PEOPLE AS RECENTLY AS DECEMBER? YES. WHAT ARE YOU WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM THESE EMPLOYEES? THERE’S A LOT OF ANGER. THERE’S A LOT OF SHOCK. AND NOW THEY’VE BEEN BETRAYED BY THE AGENCY THAT THEY LOVED AND THAT THEY COMMITTED THEIR LIFE TO. IT’S NOT RIGHT. IT’S NOT FAIR. AND MY HEART, MY HEART GOES OUT TO THEM AND YOU KNOW, I DO BELIEVE WE WILL OVERCOME THIS. BUT THESE ARE REALLY TOUGH TIMES FOR PEOPLE THAT GAVE THEIR WHOLE LIVES TO SERVING THEIR FELLOW AMERICANS. I FEEL VERY, VERY BADLY FOR THEM. YOU RECENTLY SAID THAT THE CUTS BEING MADE TO THE SSA, THE ANNOUNCED PLANS FOR IT. YOU SAID THAT YOU’RE GOING TO SEE THE SYSTEM COLLAPSE AND AN INTERRUPTION OF BENEFITS WITHIN THE NEXT 30 TO 90 DAYS. WHAT’S YOUR EVIDENCE FOR THAT? YEAH, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT. I KNOW THAT THE SORT OF WRECKING BALL THAT’S BEING TAKEN TO THE AGENCY, THE NUMBER OF FIRINGS, PAYING PEOPLE TO LEAVE AND PAYING THEM ACTUALLY FOR A WHOLE YEAR TO LEAVE TODAY, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE GOING TO REDUCE THEIR STAFFING TO A LEVEL THAT WILL LEAD TO A CASCADING NUMBERS OF SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS, SYSTEM SHUTDOWNS, AND ULTIMATELY, I DO BELIEVE AN INTERRUPTION OF BENEFITS. WE ALREADY ARE SEEING SERVICE TIMELINES SKYROCKET, BUT THEN YOU’RE GOING TO SEE INTERMITTENT INTERRUPTIONS OF THE PROCESSING AND CLAIM SYSTEM. ULTIMATELY, AN INTERRUPTION IN BENEFITS FOR WHAT DURATION? I DO NOT KNOW. SO THE SSA HAS NEVER MISSED A PAYMENT BEFORE. WHAT ARE THE CASCADING CONSEQUENCES THAT HAPPEN IF THEY DO MISS A PAYMENT? YEAH, THE AGENCY AND THE HARD WORKING PEOPLE UP THERE AT WOODLAWN PRIDE THEMSELVES ON THE FACT THAT THEY’VE NEVER MISSED A PAYMENT IN 90 YEARS. BUT WHAT’S THE EFFECT OF OF MISSING THE BENEFITS? YOU KNOW, HALF OF ALL SENIORS WHO ARE LIVING ALONE DEPEND ENTIRELY UPON THAT SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENT AND TO KEEP THEM OUT OF POVERTY. SO SENIORS, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, ACTUALLY, A LOT OF KIDS ARE LIFTED OUT OF POVERTY BY SOCIAL SECURITY. SECOND ONLY TO THE CHILD TAX CREDIT. THE ACTING SSA COMMISSIONER HAS ANNOUNCED PLANS TO SLASH 7000 JOBS, WHICH WOULD REPRESENT 12% OF THE WORKFORCE, AND THEN MANY SENIOR STAFF HAVE DECIDED TO RESIGN. A LOSS OF DECADES OF EXPERTISE. WHAT’S AT RISK WHEN YOU DO THAT? THERE’S AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE THAT GOES INTO MAKING SOCIAL SECURITY RUN. THE AMOUNT OF DATA THEY HAVE, THE EARNINGS RECORDS, YOUR RECORD, MY RECORD FROM THE VERY FIRST JOB WE EVER HAD IS IN THAT GREEN SCREEN, VERY OLD, SOMEWHAT FRAGILE. WITH THESE RECKLESS ACTIONS THAT THESE UNELECTED PEOPLE LIKE CO-PRESIDENT MUSK AND AND THE DOGE KIDS ARE ARE TAKING UP. THERE IS JUST UNCONSCIONABLE. ELON MUSK HAS CALLED SSA THE BIGGEST PONZI SCHEME OF ALL TIME. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SAID THAT HIS ADMINISTRATION WILL NOT BE TOUCHING SOCIAL SECURITY, AND THAT THEY’RE ONLY GOING AFTER FRAUD IN SSA. WHAT’S YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT? THEY SAY THEY’RE GOING AFTER FRAUD AT SSA, BUT ONE OF THEIR VERY FIRST ACTIONS, WITHIN TWO DAYS OF BEING IN OFFICE, WAS TO FIRE THE INSPECTOR GENERAL, NOT ONLY OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, WHOSE JOB IT IS TO PROSECUTE FRAUD, BUT HE FIRED EVERY ONE OF THOSE INDEPENDENT INSPECTOR GENERALS. SO THIS NOTION THAT SOMEHOW IT’S A PYRAMID SCHEME OR A PONZI SCHEME IS DISPROVED FIRST BY THE FACT THAT IT’S BEEN GOING ON FOR 90 YEARS, SECOND, BY THE FACT THAT EVERY YEAR THEY GET A CLEAN AUDIT, UNLIKE THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. SO THIS IS A SUPER EFFICIENT PROGRAM THAT IS BEING GUTTED AND RUN INTO THE GROUND. I DO BELIEVE THEY WANT TO BREAK IT SO THAT THEY CAN LOOT IT. THE SSA DID NOT RESPOND TO A REQUEST FOR COMMENT, BUT WE WILL UPDATE OUR STORY ONLINE IF THEY DO. COMING UP NEW AT SIX. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED ON TUESDAY THAT IT WAS SEEKING TO SELL 83 FEDERAL PROPERTIES IN MARYLAND, INCLUDING SSA HEADQUARTERS IN WOODLAWN. WHY O’MALLEY THINKS THE GOAL OF THAT MOVE IS CONNECTED TO PRIVATIZING SOCIA
‘Betrayed’: Former SSA head Martin O’Malley says system will collapse, rips Trump Administration
Updated: 7:17 PM EST Mar 6, 2025
The Trump administration’s proposed changes to the Social Security Administration will cause the payment system to collapse, Martin O’Malley told 11 News Investigates in an exclusive interview.The changes will “decapitate” the agency while betraying a staff of thousands who have dedicated their lives to serving Americans, according to O’Malley, the former SSA commissioner.Video below: Former SSA head Martin O’Malley sits for exclusive interview with 11 News InvestigatesO’Malley, the former mayor of Baltimore, former governor of Maryland and former Democratic presidential candidate, sat down with 11 News Investigates on Thursday as the Trump Administration and Department of Government Efficiency take aim at the agency he used to lead.O’Malley said he is hearing anger and shock from former employees. He said the emotions come from being betrayed by the agency that they loved and gave their lives to.Actions taken so far, according to O’Malley, will cause an increasing number of service interruptions and will ultimately lead to an interruption of benefits.”We are already seeing service timelines skyrocket, but then you’re going to see intermittent interruptions of the processing and claim system. Ultimately, an interruption in benefits,” O’Malley said.O’Malley said the current administration’s plans to slash 7,000 jobs will result in the loss of “An enormous amount of knowledge and expertise that goes into making Social Security run.”Video below: Former SSA head on possible sale of SSA buildingsThe Trump administration is requiring federal workers to go back to work in-person. However, a list of federal properties the federal government wanted to sell, which was then taken down, included the entire campus of SSA headquarters.”It’s shameful,” O’Malley said. “Including a brand new building, the Altmire building was just completely remodeled, completely gutted and remodeled two years ago.”
WOODLAWN, Md. —The Trump administration’s proposed changes to the Social Security Administration will cause the payment system to collapse, Martin O’Malley told 11 News Investigates in an exclusive interview.
The changes will “decapitate” the agency while betraying a staff of thousands who have dedicated their lives to serving Americans, according to O’Malley, the former SSA commissioner.
Video below: Former SSA head Martin O’Malley sits for exclusive interview with 11 News Investigates
O’Malley, the former mayor of Baltimore, former governor of Maryland and former Democratic presidential candidate, sat down with 11 News Investigates on Thursday as the Trump Administration and Department of Government Efficiency take aim at the agency he used to lead.
O’Malley said he is hearing anger and shock from former employees. He said the emotions come from being betrayed by the agency that they loved and gave their lives to.
Actions taken so far, according to O’Malley, will cause an increasing number of service interruptions and will ultimately lead to an interruption of benefits.
“We are already seeing service timelines skyrocket, but then you’re going to see intermittent interruptions of the processing and claim system. Ultimately, an interruption in benefits,” O’Malley said.
O’Malley said the current administration’s plans to slash 7,000 jobs will result in the loss of “An enormous amount of knowledge and expertise that goes into making Social Security run.”
Video below: Former SSA head on possible sale of SSA buildings
The Trump administration is requiring federal workers to go back to work in-person. However, a list of federal properties the federal government wanted to sell, which was then taken down, included the entire campus of SSA headquarters.
“It’s shameful,” O’Malley said. “Including a brand new building, the Altmire building was just completely remodeled, completely gutted and remodeled two years ago.”
