The Social Security Administration (SSA) just announced a major update. Starting this summer, Americans with a ‘My Social Security’ account will be able to access their digital Social Security number (SSN) online. The goal is to simplify access, reduce paper card replacements and improve data protection.

But with convenience comes new cybersecurity concerns. Here’s how the digital SSN works, why it’s being introduced now and the steps you should take to protect your SSN from identity theft both online and offline.

What is the digital SSN? New Social Security feature explained

The SSA is introducing secure digital access to your Social Security number through the ‘My Social Security’ portal. If you forget your SSN, misplace your card or need to share your number for non-SSA purposes (such as job applications or financial services), you’ll be able to view your number online from a mobile device.

‘This enhancement will provide individuals…a simple solution allowing them to securely view their SSN online,’ said the SSA. This update eliminates the need for mail delays or in-person visits to your local SSA office.

Why the SSA is releasing digital SSNs in 2025

There are a few big reasons the SSA is rolling this out now:

• Aging physical cards: The SSA estimates there are 47 different versions of the Social Security card still in circulation. Many of them were issued before 1983 and lack basic security features, making them easier to forge or misuse.
• Rising identity theft risks: Your SSN is one of the most sensitive identifiers tied to your name. When cards are lost, stolen or handled carelessly, it creates opportunities for identity theft, fraud and account takeovers.
• Demand for digital access: More Americans now expect to access government services from their phones or computers. Long lines at SSA offices and delays in mail processing have made it harder for people to get help quickly. A digital SSN provides faster, safer and more convenient access to your number when you need it.

Digital SSN launch date: When you can access it

The digital SSN option will be available in early summer 2025. If you already have a ‘My Social Security’ account, you’ll be able to access the feature once it rolls out.

How to access your digital Social Security number online

You’ll need a ‘My Social Security’ account to use the digital SSN features. Here’s how to get started:

Go to ssa.gov/myaccount and click ‘Create an Account.’

You’ll be asked to provide your name, birthdate, SSN and address. The SSA may use a third-party identity verification service and ask questions based on your credit report.

Use a strong, unique password and set up two-factor authentication with your phone number or an authenticator app. Consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords.

Once the digital SSN feature launches, you’ll be able to view your number securely from your account on a mobile device or computer.

If you’re already signed up, double-check your security settings and make sure your contact information is current.

7 ways to protect your Social Security number from identity theft

Even with digital access making your SSN more convenient, it’s still one of the most sensitive pieces of personal information you own. If your SSN falls into the wrong hands, it can lead to identity theft, credit fraud and even tax return scams. Here are the best ways to protect it:

Create a unique, complex password for your ‘My Social Security’ account and enable two-factor authentication. This ensures that even if someone guesses your password, they won’t be able to log in without a second verification step. Consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords. Get more details about my best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 here.

If you’re checking your SSA account, avoid doing so over unsecured networks like public Wi-Fi. Use a secure home network or VPN to encrypt your connection and protect your session from hackers. For the best VPN software, see my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

Scammers often pose as the SSA to trick you into revealing your SSN. Don’t click links in unsolicited emails or texts and never give personal information unless you’re sure the source is legitimate. Always go directly to ssa.gov if in doubt.

To block suspicious links and attachments before they reach you, consider using strong antivirus software. The right antivirus can help detect phishing attempts and protect you from malicious downloads. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

Staying on top of your financial activity is one of the most effective ways to catch identity theft early. That’s where identity protection services come in. Identity theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Security number, phone number and email address and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.

Make it a habit to review your credit reports regularly. Look for unfamiliar accounts, unauthorized inquiries or incorrect personal information. If something seems off, contact the credit bureau right away to dispute it.

Prevent fraudulent tax filings using your SSN by setting up an Identity Protection PIN with the IRS. This six-digit number adds another layer of protection during tax season.

Log in to your ‘My Social Security’ account regularly to review your earnings history and benefits. This helps ensure your information hasn’t been altered or compromised.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Starting this summer, the SSA will let you view your Social Security number online through your ‘My Social Security’ account. It’s a secure, convenient update that cuts down on lost cards and office visits. To use it safely, set up strong login credentials and two-factor authentication. And since your SSN remains a top target for identity thieves, now’s the time to protect it with tools like a password manager, VPN, antivirus software and identity theft monitoring.

Do you trust digital access to your Social Security number? Let us know by writing to us at

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to 

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.

Follow Kurt on his social channels:

• Facebook
• YouTube
• Instagram

Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:

• What is the best way to protect your Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android devices from getting hacked?
• What is the best way to stay private, secure and anonymous while browsing the web?
• How can I get rid of robocalls with apps and data removal services?
• How do I remove my private data from the internet?

New from Kurt:

• Try CyberGuy’s new games (crosswords, word searches, trivia and more!)
• CyberGuy’s exclusive coupons and deals

Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

The ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ may face major changes when the Senate begins debate next week.

Look for Senate Republicans to pare down state and local tax deductions—known as SALT—which are important to House Republicans from California and New York.

Almost no Senate Republicans care about SALT. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., says he’d oppose the bill if the Senate strips SALT.

Fiscal hawks want further Medicaid changes to achieve additional savings, but Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Jim Justice, R-W.Va., represent states with high percentages of their constituents on Medicaid. 

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., wants to alter the no-tax-on-tips provision, arguing it’s unfair to workers outside tipped industries.

The Senate may also cut House provisions on AI and federal judges, as these policy issues don’t comply with special Senate budget rules.

By all appearances, the world is edging perilously close to the brink of a catastrophic global conflict. In just the past few days, five deeply troubling developments have emerged — each significant on its own — but taken together, they form a pattern too urgent to dismiss. Viewed in context, these events expose a rapidly deteriorating international order, where diplomacy is failing, deterrence is weakening, and the risk of multi-theater war is rising sharply. 

First, Ukraine’s audacious drone strike deep inside Russian territory — reportedly destroying or damaging a significant share of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet — bears the hallmarks of Western involvement. While Kyiv claimed responsibility, the attack’s sophistication, including precise long-range targeting and coordinated timing, suggests U.S. or NATO intelligence and technological support.  

Former intelligence officials have even pointed to likely CIA or allied agency involvement. Whatever the true origin, Moscow now sees itself not merely at war with Ukraine, but with the broader Western alliance. Russia’s retaliation — whether cyber, kinetic or covert — could spiral well beyond the front lines. 

Second, efforts to rein in Iran’s nuclear ambitions have collapsed further. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly rejected a U.S. proposal that would have permitted tightly restricted low-level uranium enrichment. Denouncing the offer as ‘100% against our interests,’ he reaffirmed Iran’s demand for full sovereign enrichment rights.  

With Israel openly contemplating military action and negotiations at a standstill, the Middle East stands on the edge of a potentially region-wide conflagration — especially if Iran accelerates toward weapons-grade enrichment. 

Third, a highly anticipated phone call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin yielded no diplomatic breakthrough. Though both men discussed the escalating war and the drone strike, the call ended with no commitments, no ceasefire, and no plan for de-escalation.  

Trump admitted it was not the kind of conversation that would bring peace. Instead, the call served to underscore how deeply entrenched the conflict has become — and how narrow the remaining diplomatic off-ramps now are. 

Fourth, a chilling threat emerged on American soil. Federal prosecutors charged a Chinese national couple with attempting to smuggle Fusarium graminearum into the U.S. — a crop-killing fungus labeled by the Justice Department as a potential ‘agroterrorism weapon.’ The pathogen can devastate wheat, barley and corn, and its toxins are harmful to both humans and livestock.  

The couple is linked to Chinese state-sponsored research and is suspected of prior smuggling attempts. Whether or not this plot was state-directed, it underscores an alarming vulnerability: America’s homeland is increasingly exposed to unconventional threats from hostile actors. 

Fifth, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned that China may be preparing to launch a full-scale invasion of Taiwan. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, he declared, China ‘is rehearsing for the real deal.’  

With Beijing ramping up military drills and tightening its rhetoric, the Taiwan Strait has become a powder keg. Should China act, U.S. intervention would be virtually guaranteed — potentially igniting a major conflict in the Indo-Pacific. 

Together, these flashpoints paint a stark picture of a world in crisis. Three nuclear powers — Russia, China and Iran (potentially) — are simultaneously testing Western resolve.  

The United States faces a mounting burden to deter aggression on multiple fronts, with few diplomatic successes to lean on. Traditional tools — talks, sanctions, summits — are proving inadequate. What remains is a binary choice: step back from global leadership or confront rising threats in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, possibly all at once. 

This is not alarmism. This is convergence. With diplomacy unraveling, adversaries emboldened and the homeland no longer secure, the global order is careening toward synchronized escalation. The world is not yet at war — but it is teetering dangerously close to systemic conflict that could engulf major powers and redraw the map of the 21st century. 

The warning lights are flashing red. The only question now is whether the world will act — or continue its drift toward fire. 

One of the leading opponents of President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ declared not even the commander in chief will be able to deter him from speaking out against what he sees as a bill that falls short of Republicans’ goal of cutting government waste.

‘It’ll completely backfire on him,’ Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told Fox News Digital of any attempts by Trump to sway him on the current legislation.

Johnson has become a prominent voice of opposition against the House GOP’s offering to the budget reconciliation process. Senate Republicans finally began the tedious process of parsing through the bill this week.

Lawmakers in the upper chamber, Johnson included, are determined to make changes to the bill, with most wanting to make reductions to Medicaid and food stamps more palatable. Trump has made it clear his bill must pass but has acknowledged the Senate will need to make a few changes.

Trump’s directive has been to deliver a bill that can survive the razor-thin majorities in both chambers.  

Johnson, however, wants to see spending returned to pre-pandemic levels, cuts that are trillions of dollars deeper than what House Republicans could stomach. And he is ready to vote against the bill unless he sees the changes he wants.

And he believes that a pressure campaign from the president against him and other like-minded fiscal hawks will fail.

He said a better approach would be to work with lawmakers and fiscal hawks like him to gain a better understanding of the reality of the country’s fiscal situation, a reality that ‘is grim,’ he said.

Johnson has been up front about his disdain for the bill but has so far avoided public retribution from Trump. In fact, the two have spoken twice this week, once on Monday and later during a Senate Finance Committee meeting at the White House Tuesday.

The lawmaker has told Trump he’s in Trump’s corner and that he wants ‘to see you succeed,’ but he has been steadfast in his position that the bill does not go far enough to tackle the national debt.

And the debt continues to climb, nearing $37 trillion and counting, according to Fox News’ National Debt Tracker.

The House’s offering set a goal of $1.5 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade, which lawmakers in the lower chamber have pitched as a positive step forward to righting the country’s fiscal ship, an offering Johnson panned as falling drastically short of the GOP’s promises to cut deep into government spending.

‘What’s so disappointing about what happened in the House is it was all rhetoric. It’s all slogans,’ Johnson said. ‘They picked a number. Literally, they picked a number out of the air.’

Johnson views this attempt at the budget reconciliation process as a rare opportunity to ‘do the hard things’ when it comes to spending cuts, but others in the GOP have been more hesitant to cut as deep.

Johnson said a main reason Republicans have so far fallen short of meeting the moment for the most part is that lawmakers don’t understand just how much the federal government shovels out the door year in and year out.

The lawmaker recalled a moment roughly three years ago during a debate over another year-end omnibus spending bill, when each of the dozen appropriations bills is crammed into one, bloated package that is universally reviled and almost always passes.

He asked his colleagues if they really knew just how much the government spends, and no one ‘volunteered to answer.’

‘Nobody knew. I mean, think of that. The largest financier in the world. We’re supposedly, in theory, the 535 members of the board of directors, and nobody knew,’ he said. ‘Why would they? We never talked about it.’

Johnson has been busy trying to better educate his colleagues, putting together his own charts and graphs that cut out the ‘noise,’ like the latest nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office report that found the legislation would add $2.4 trillion to the national debt over a decade. The GOP has universally panned that projection.

‘We can’t accept this as a new normal,’ Johnson said. ‘We can’t accept — you can take pot shots of CBO, but you can’t deny that reality. [It] might be off a little bit, but that is the trajectory, and that’s undeniable.’
 

Former President Barack Obama’s White House physician said in a new interview that former President Joe Biden’s doctor should have performed a cognitive test to evaluate his fitness to serve in office. 

Obama’s doctor, Jeffrey Kuhlman, told The Washington Post that Biden White House physician Kevin O’Connor should have performed a cognitive test during Biden’s last year as president, given his age. 

O’Connor, who Kuhlman first appointed as Biden’s doctor in 2009 when he was vice president, declared in a 2024 report that the then-81-year-old president ‘continues to be fit for duty.’ The report did not mention any neurocognitive testing. 

‘Sometimes those closest to the tree miss the forest,’ Kuhlman told the Post.

‘It shouldn’t be just health, it should be fitness,’ Kuhlman said. ‘Fitness is: Do you have that robust mind, body, spirit that you can do this physically, mentally, emotionally demanding job?’

Kuhlman, who departed the White House Medical Unit in 2013, described O’Connor as ‘a good doctor’ who appeared to do his best to ‘give trusted medical advice.’

‘I didn’t see that he’s purposely hiding stuff, but I don’t know that,’ Kuhlman told the Post. ‘Maybe the investigation will show it.’

President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate whether Biden’s aides ‘abused the power of Presidential signatures through the use of an autopen to conceal Biden’s cognitive decline and assert Article II authority.’ 

‘This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history,’ the order says. ‘The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power, all while Biden’s signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts.’  

‘Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency,’ Biden said in a statement Wednesday night. ‘I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.’

Trump’s order appeared to nod to the findings of special counsel Robert Hur, who investigated Biden’s handling of classified documents while he was vice president. 

In a report released in February 2024, Hur concluded Biden ‘willfully retained and disclosed’ sensitive materials but should not stand trial, describing the president as a ‘sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.’ Hur cited instances when Biden could not recall key dates and events, including when he served as vice president and when his son, Beau, passed away. The report was released at a time when Biden was still planning a second term run. 

Last week, House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., issued a subpoena for O’Connor to appear for a deposition at the end of the month ‘as part of the investigation into the cover-up of President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline and potentially unauthorized issuance of sweeping pardons and other executive actions.’ 

The committee re-posted the Post’s interview with Kuhlman to X, writing, ‘Even Obama’s doctor admits the truth. This is precisely why Chairman @RepJamesComer subpoenaed Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s physician. This is a scandal of historical proportions, and we will investigate it thoroughly!’ 

In a letter to O’Connor, Comer said the transcribed interview would focus on the physician’s February 2024 assessment that Biden was ‘a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency.’

‘Among other subjects, the Committee expressed its interest in whether your financial relationship with the Biden family affected your assessment of former President Biden’s physical and mental fitness to fulfill his duties as President,’ Comer wrote. 

Questions about Biden’s cognitive state stretch extend solely past Republicans. 

CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson recently published a book titled ‘Original Sin,’ which details concerns and debates inside the White House and Democratic Party over Biden’s mental state and age.

In the book, Tapper and Thompson wrote, ‘Five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board.’

Naomi Biden, the former president’s granddaughter, dismissed the book as ‘political fairy smut for the permanent, professional chattering class.’ 

Comer requested transcribed interviews with Biden’s White House senior advisers Mike Donilon and Anita Dunn, former White House chief of staff Ron Klain, former deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed and Steve Ricchetti, a former counselor to the president. He also called for former senior White House aides Annie Tomasini, Anthony Bernal, Ashley Williams and Neera Tanden to appear before the committee and suggested subpoenas could be forthcoming if they did not schedule voluntary interviews. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other politicians from the U.S. and Latin America condemned the shooting of Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe on Sunday.

Rubio blamed the assassination attempt on ‘violent leftist rhetoric’ originating from the Colombian government. Uribe, a Colombian senator, is currently fighting for his life after sustaining three gunshot wounds, one of which was to the head.

‘The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted assassination of Senator Miguel Uribe. This is a direct threat to democracy and the result of the violent leftist rhetoric coming from the highest levels of the Colombian government,’ Rubio wrote.

‘Having seen firsthand Colombia’s progress over the past few decades to consolidate security and democracy, it can’t afford to go back to dark days of political violence. President Petro needs to dial back the inflammatory rhetoric and protect Colombian officials,’ he added.

Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno also condemned the attack in a statement on social media.

‘The assassination attempt on leading presidential candidate Miguel Uribe is a vile attack on democracy. This evil act must be investigated and anyone responsible, directly or indirectly, must face swift punishment,’ Moreno wrote.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric also reacted to Uribe’s shooting.

‘My strongest condemnation of the attack against Miguel Uribe Turbay, pre-presidential candidate in Colombia. In a democracy, violence has no place or justification,’ Boric wrote.

Authorities say Uribe was shot by a 15-year-old hit man, and they are investigating who was behind the attack.

‘Miguel is fighting for his life at this moment. Let us ask God to guide the hands of the doctors who are attending to him,’ Maria Claudia Tarazona, Miguel’s wife, wrote on her husband’s X account. ‘I ask everyone to join together in a prayer chain for Miguel’s life.’

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Uribe’s chief opponent in the presidential race, said the attack crossed a ‘red line’ and ordered an investigation. He also canceled a planned trip to France this week, citing the ‘seriousness of the events.’

Colombia’s Ministry of Defense has offered a nearly $750,000 reward for information relating to the assassination attempt.

President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that there would be ‘serious consequences’ for Elon Musk if he were to fund Democratic candidates. The president made the remark during a phone interview with NBC News.

‘If he does, he’ll have to pay the consequences for that,’ Trump told NBC News. However, according to the outlet, Trump did not detail what the consequences would be.

The president also told the outlet that he has no interest in repairing his relationship with the Tesla founder and CEO. When asked if he thought his relationship with Musk was over, Trump reportedly told NBC News, ‘I would assume so, yeah.’ 

Trump also apparently has ‘no intention’ of speaking with Musk — which is what he told Fox News Chief Political Anchor Bret Baier.

Trump and Musk have been engaged in a heated feud that has rapidly escalated in a matter of days. The spat began when Musk criticized the Trump-backed ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ after his time with the administration ended.

‘I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,’ Musk said in a Tuesday post on X. ‘Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.’

Musk later had two explosive posts on X, both of which are now deleted. In one, Musk accused Trump of being in files related to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Then, he agreed with a post calling for Trump’s impeachment and suggested that Vice President JD Vance take charge.

In one of his posts criticizing the bill, Musk argued that the bill ‘more than defeats all the cost savings achieved by the DOGE team at great personal cost and risk.’

On Friday, Trump spoke with Baier and told him that ‘Elon’s totally lost it.’ That same day Trump posted on Truth Social that Musk should have turned on him ‘months ago.’

‘I don’t mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress. ‘This puts our Country on a Path of Greatness. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!’

Musk endorsed Trump after the then-candidate was nearly assassinated in Butler, Pa., during a campaign rally. The two seemed to become fast friends, with Musk eventually agreeing to join the Trump administration and lead DOGE.

A House committee witness who was called out by Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California during a hearing this week is pushing back after the congressman unearthed a past social media post on Social Security in an attempt to discredit his testimony. 

During a House oversight DOGE subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Garcia grilled Power the Future CEO Dan Turner while holding up a posterboard of a past tweet calling Social Security a ‘government-sponsored Ponzi scheme.’

‘Madoff went to jail for it. Congress runs on it,’ the post said. ‘I should be able to keep 100% of my money and not watch government waste it with a paltry percentage return.’

Garcia then suggested that post was evidence that Turner lacks the credibility to be testifying about the billions of federal tax dollars directed to left-wing NGOs. 

A Ponzi scheme and so I think it’s interesting, of course, as one of our Republican witnesses is calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme, and that’s the person that we should be taking advice from here today,’ Garcia said. 

‘Without Social Security, 22 million people would be pushed into poverty. That includes over 16 million seniors and nearly 1 million children. And in fact, Elon Musk has also said and agreed with you, sir, that this is a Ponzi scheme. I think it’s ironic that you are one of our witnesses talking about efficiency when you want to attack the single best program that we have to support people not just out of poverty, but across this country to uplift them, to ensure they can afford a decent life.’

Fox News Digital spoke to Turner, who stood by his post and outlined his belief, echoed by many, that Social Security is structured like a Ponzi scheme by definition. 

‘Rep Garcia does not know the definition of Ponzi scheme,’ Turner said. ‘Social Security is the ultimate Ponzi, demanding more and more people at the bottom pay in to fund the people at the top, expect our demographics have this now reversed. The system will default. Mr. Garcia nor I will likely never see a dime. That should worry him more than my social media feed.’

Turner told Fox News Digital that if Garcia’s staff were to spend as much time trying to save Social Security as it did ‘combing through my social media’ then ‘perhaps the Ponzi scheme can survive long enough for me to get a small percentage of what the government confiscated during my lifetime.’

Turner explained that his father had received a ‘paltry percentage’ of what he paid into the program and the the government ‘kept the rest’ when his father died. 

‘That’s not just a Ponzi scheme, it’s government greed and politicians running a money-laundering operation to get reelected. No one should be compelled to pay into a failed system, yet in a free America, you don’t have that choice.’

In addition to Turner and Elon Musk suggesting that Social Security is by definition set up like a Ponzi scheme, Fox News Digital previously spoke to James Agresti, president of the nonprofit research institute Just Facts, who said the characterization has ‘validity.’

‘A Ponzi scheme operates by taking money from new investors to pay current investors,’ Agresti said. ‘That’s the definition given by the SEC, and contrary to popular belief, that’s exactly how Social Security operates.’

Agresti explained to Fox News Digital that Social Security, a program mired for decades with concerns about waste, fraud, and improper payments, ‘doesn’t take our money and save it for us, as many people believe, and then give it to us when we’re older’ like many Americans might believe. 

‘What it does is, it transfers money when we are young and working and paying into Social Security taxes,’ Agresti said. ‘That money, the vast bulk of it, goes immediately out the door to people who are currently receiving benefits. Now, there is a trust fund, but in 90 years of operation, that trust fund currently has enough money to fund two years of program operations.’

The trust fund only being able to last for two years is not a result of the fund being ‘looted,’ Agresti explained, but rather it was put in place to ‘put surpluses in it’ from money that Social Security collects in taxes that it doesn’t pay out immediately and pays interest on. 

‘The interest that’s been paid on that has been higher than the rate of inflation,’ Agresti said. ‘So, the problem isn’t that the trust fund has been looted. The problem is that Social Security operates like a Ponzi scheme.’

Democrats have vocally pushed back against efforts by Republicans and DOGE to reform Social Security or make cuts to what they say are examples of wasteful or improper spending from the department.

‘There’s been a lot of misinformation about that as of late,’ Agresti told Fox News Digital. ‘You know, when DOGE came in and suggested that the Social Security Administration cut, I think it was about 10,000 workers, Democrats erupted that this is going to weaken Social Security. But the fact of the matter is that Social Security pays those workers who are for administrative overhead from the Social Security trust fund. So, by cutting out the money that they’re paying them, you actually strengthen the program financially.’

Agresti told Fox News Digital that the current administrative overhead for Social Security is $6.7 billion per year, which is enough to pay more than 300,000 retirees the average old-age benefit.

‘Every single study shows social security going completely bankrupt in the next few years. Garcia and other democrats know the iceberg is ahead but rather than turn the ship, they are yelling at the iceberg about the senior citizens onboard,’ Turner said. ‘This Ponzi scheme is collapsing fast, and turning my tweets into posters is not going to stop it.’

From bringing the heat to retreating on the beef.

Elon Musk appears to be backtracking on some of the wild accusations he made during his ugly spat with President Donald Trump earlier this week.

Musk sensationally posted on Thursday that the president’s name appears in unreleased Jeffrey Epstein files — and said that’s why the files haven’t been made public.

‘@RealDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files,’ Musk wrote on X. ‘That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!’

Musk followed the post with another, saying, ‘Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.’

But eagle-eyed online sleuths noticed that Musk had quietly deleted the posts.

The former ‘First Buddy’ dropped the allegation in response to a back-and-forth series of social media messages between him and Trump. But as of today, the post has been removed from the Tesla CEO’s timeline. 

The post wasn’t the only one he deleted: Musk also appears to have taken down a post endorsing a message that read, ‘Trump should be impeached’ and that Vance ‘should replace him.’

Musk shared the post and wrote ‘yes,’ but his comment is no longer visible. 

The beef between Musk and Trump exploded onto the national scene this week with the SpaceX CEO publicly blasting Trump’s major legislation, the Big Beautiful bill, for increasing the deficit by around $2.5 trillion.  

The feud came despite a months-long ‘bromance’ between the pair, with Musk donating around $277 million to Trump’s campaign and enthusiastically supporting his return to office. Trump’s return to office also saw Musk oversee the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for months. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in the aftermath of Musk’s post that it was an ‘unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted.’

The White House said a source familiar with the Epstein matter said it is widely known that Trump kicked Epstein out of his Palm Beach Golf Club.

The source also pointed out that the administration released the Epstein files, which included Trump’s name, and nothing was new about Musk’s revelation.

‘If Elon truly thought the President was more deeply involved with Epstein, why did he hang out with him for 6 months and say he ‘loves him as much as a straight man can love a straight man?” the source said.

Musk’s bombshell allegation against Trump comes months after a trove of files pertaining to the Epstein case were released.

In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel explaining the delay in the release of documents and placing blame on an FBI field office in New York.

Bondi said she requested the full Epstein case file before Patel was confirmed as the head of the FBI and received about 200 pages — far fewer than the number of pages released last year in a civil lawsuit connected to Ghisalaine Maxwell, the trafficker’s former lover and convicted accomplice.

Although Bondi pushed for the release of the full dossier, which included records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Epstein and his clients, the request remains unfulfilled.

One of the key pieces that remains unreleased is a client list, though Bondi claimed in February it was on her desk to be reviewed.

The documents that have been released so far include flight logs, an evidence list, a contact book and a redacted ‘masseuse list’ believed to refer to Epstein’s victims.

Many people named in the documents have never been accused of Epstein-related wrongdoing. However, some have, like Maxwell; Prince Andrew, who has denied allegations of wrongdoing; and Jean-Luc Brunel, a French modeling agent who, like Epstein, died in a jail awaiting trial.

Epstein, Maxwell and unnamed co-conspirators allegedly abused young women and underage girls between 1996 and his death in 2019, according to the lawsuit. Citing police documents, it alleges that Epstein recruited girls between 14 and 16 as well as students at Palm Beach Community College for ‘sex-tinged sessions.’

Maxwell is appealing her conviction while serving a sentence at a federal prison in Tallahassee. She is due for release in the summer of 2037.

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller and Mike Ruiz contributed to this report.

Elon Musk appeared to jokingly reconsider his stance on the Big Beautiful Bill after a California Democrat came to his defense.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., wrote on X that ‘I can’t believe I’m saying this – but [Elon Musk] is right.’ However, that seems to be the last point on which the two agree. They both object to the Big Beautiful Bill, viewing it as full of pork. Musk opposes the bill because he believes it raises government spending too much, while Schiff objects to what he calls its ‘far-right’ content, which he describes as ‘dangerous.’

Musk fired off a response rejecting Schiff’s alleged praise of the tech billionaire’s position on the bill.

‘Hmm, few things could convince me to reconsider my position more than Adam Schiff agreeing with me!’

On May 30, Musk’s time with the administration came to an end, and he seemed to leave things on good terms. President Donald Trump thanked Musk for his work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and gave him a symbolic ‘key to the White House’ as a parting gift. 

Following his departure from the White House, Musk said he was looking forward ‘to continuing to be a friend and adviser to the president.’ However, things took a sharp turn as a feud between Trump and Musk quickly heated up after the Tesla founder began publicly criticizing the Big Beautiful Bill. 

After the legislation passed the House, Musk said that the ‘massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. ‘Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.’

Musk’s criticisms received mixed reactions from Republicans, with some — such as Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. — agreeing with him. Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was ‘surprised’ by Musk’s reaction and claimed the two of them had a good discussion about the bill.

Trump and Musk then began slugging it out on their respective social media platforms — X and Truth Social — as well as TV. The president told reporters in the Oval Office that he was ‘very disappointed’ with Musk and claimed that the former DOGE head knew what was in the bill, something that Musk denied. 

The heated exchange led to two explosive tweets, both of which were later deleted. In one post, Musk claimed Trump was mentioned in files relating to Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased sex offender and disgraced financier. In his other post, Musk endorsed a message that called for Trump’s impeachment and said that Vice President J.D. Vance should take over.

While it’s unclear whether Trump and Musk will reconcile, for now it seems unlikely. Trump told Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier that he was not interested in talking to Musk and that ‘Elon’s totally lost it.’