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Hertz is notifying customers that a data hack late last year may have exposed their personal data.

The rental-car giant said an analysis of the incident that it completed on April 2 found the breach affected some customers’ birthdates, credit card and driver’s license data and information related to workers’ compensation claims.

The hack occurred between October and December 2024, Hertz said, adding that “a very small number of individuals” may have had their Social Security numbers, passport information and Medicare or Medicaid IDs impacted as well.

The company didn’t disclose how many of its customers were affected by the cyberattack.

Hertz said the hackers accessed the information through systems operated by Cleo Communications, one of its software vendors, and said it was one of “many other companies affected by this event.”

Cleo didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

“Hertz takes the privacy and security of personal information seriously,” the company said in a statement, adding that it has reported the breach to law enforcement and is also alerting the relevant regulators. It’s offering two years of free identity-monitoring services to Hertz customers affected by the breach.

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Politics

Mark Zuckerberg on the stand: ‘Crazy,’ ‘scary’ ideas led him to buy Instagram and WhatsApp

It’s too bad there are no cameras allowed in federal courtrooms, because I really would like to see Mark Zuckerberg testify.

He was the leadoff witness in the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust lawsuit against Meta, and that in itself was news.

The clash is the most sweeping attempt to dismember the world’s biggest social network, and goes to the heart of how competition is defined.

Not since the government broke up AT&T more than four decades ago has a mega-corporation faced the prospect of being torn apart.

The suit was filed in the first Trump term (the president couldn’t stand Facebook at the time), aggressively pursued by Joe Biden, and now has finally come to trial in a Washington courtroom.

Trump once told me Facebook was such a threat to society that he used it as justification for flip-flopping on his effort to ban TikTok.

But since he won a second term, Zuck, like many tech bros, has been cozying up to the new sheriff in town, including a $1-million donation to the president’s inaugural.

There are reports that when the man who runs Facebook recently met with Trump, he asked about the possibility of dropping the lawsuit. Obviously, it didn’t work.

The focus of the trial is Zuckerberg’s decision to buy Instagram and WhatsApp when they were small start-ups.

The FTC’s lead lawyer questioned Zuckerberg about a platform meant to foster ties between family and friends to a concentration on showing users interesting third-party content through its news feed.

‘It’s the case that over time, the ‘interest’ part of that has gotten built out more than the ‘friend’ part,’ Zuckerberg said. He added that ‘the ‘friend’ part has gone down quite a bit, but it’s still something we care about.’

Translation: Screw the friends. Very 2010s. We’ve moved on.

Zuckerberg spoke slowly – at least according to reporters who were there – and he was back on the hot seat yesterday. FTC lawyers pressed him on a stack of emails he had sent:

‘We really need to get our act together quickly on this since Instagram’s growing so fast.

‘Instagram has become a large and viable competitor to us on mobile photos, which will increasingly be the future of photos.’

‘If Instagram continues to kick ass on photos, or if Google buys them, then over the next few years they could easily add pieces of their service that copy what we’re doing now.’ Which was a flop called Facebook Camera.

In yet another message, Zuck called Instagram’s growth ‘really scary,’ saying ‘we might want to consider paying a lot of money for this.’ Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion in 2012, and two years later spent $19 billion on WhatsApp.

In an email to Tom Alison, head of Facebook, Z offered alternatives:

‘Option 1. Double down on Friending. One potentially crazy idea is to consider wiping everyone’s graphs and having them start again.’

Alison responded: ‘I’m not sure Option #1 in your proposal (Double-down on Friending) would be viable given my understanding of how vital the friend use case is to IG.’

Now we come to the fascinating part.

It’s not breaking news that Mark’s judgment can be flawed. Remember when he insisted that virtual reality would be the next big thing?

But he argues that Meta has all kinds of rivals in the ‘entertainment’ area, such as X, TikTok and YouTube – and he easily could have added Snap, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and HBO’s Max. It’s all about the battle for eyeballs now. There are only so many hours in the day. Mindshare is everything.

And with group chats all the rage, Meta doesn’t do well on that kind of interaction, with Instagram as a possible exception.

Now of course it’s in Zuckerberg’s self-interest to testify that he competes with anything that has a screen. But it’s not that far off the mark. Keep in mind that Meta has 4 billion active monthly users.

I sure wish we could see the embattled CEO making the case that he’s awash in a vast sea of rivals.

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Politics

White House quietly floats millionaire tax hike proposal in Congress as GOP leaders signal opposition

White House aides are quietly floating a proposal within the House GOP that would raise the tax rate for people making more than $1 million to 40%, two sources familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital, to offset the cost of eliminating tips on overtime pay, tipped wages, and retirees’ Social Security.

The sources stressed the discussions were only preliminary, and the plan is one of many being talked about as congressional Republicans work on advancing President Donald Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process.

Trump and his White House have not yet taken a position on the matter, but the idea is being looked at by his aides and staff on Capitol Hill.

Meanwhile House GOP leaders including Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., have publicly opposed the idea of any tax hikes.

‘I’m not a big fan of doing that. I mean, we’re the Republican Party and we’re for tax reduction for everyone,’ Johnson said on ‘Sunday Morning Futures.’

One GOP lawmaker asked about the proposal and granted anonymity to speak candidly said they would be open to supporting it but preferred a higher starting point than $1 million.

They said the reaction was ‘mixed’ among other House Republicans. But not all House GOP lawmakers are privy to the discussions, and it’s not immediately clear how wide the proposal has been circulated.

Nevertheless, it signals that Republicans are deeply divided on how to go about enacting Trump’s tax agenda.

Extending Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and enacting his newer tax proposals is a cornerstone of Republicans’ plans for the budget reconciliation process.

By lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51, it allows the party in power to skirt opposition to pass a sweeping piece of legislation advancing its own priorities – provided the measures deal with tax, spending, or the national debt.

Extending Trump’s tax cuts is expected to cost trillions of dollars alone. But even if Republicans use a budgetary calculation to hide its cost, known as current policy baseline, they will still have to find a path forward for new policies eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay, and retirees’ Social Security checks.

Hiking taxes on the ultra-wealthy could also serve to put Democrats in a tricky political situation in forcing them to choose between supporting Trump’s policies and opposing an idea they’ve pushed for years.

The top income tax rate is currently about 37% on $609,351 in earnings for a single person or $731,201 for married couples.

But raising the rate for millionaires could be one way to pay for Trump’s new tax policies.

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., one of the deficit hawks leading the charge to ensure new spending is paired with deep cuts elsewhere, said ‘That’s one possibility.’

‘What I’d like to do is I’d actually like to find spending reductions elsewhere in the budget, but if we can’t get enough spending reductions, we’re going to have to pay for our tax cuts,’ Harris told ‘Mornings with Maria’ last week.

‘Before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the highest tax bracket was 39.6%, it was less than $1 million. Ideally, what we could do, again, if we can’t find spending reductions, we say ‘Okay, let’s restore that higher bracket, let’s set it at maybe $2 million income and above,’ to help pay for the rest of the president’s agenda.’

But Johnson’s No. 2, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., again poured cold water on the idea Tuesday.

‘I don’t support that initiative,’ Scalise told ‘Mornings with Maria,’ though he added, ‘everything’s on the table.’

‘That’s why you hear all kind of ideas being bounced around. And if we take no action, then you’d have over 90% of Americans see a tax increase,’ Scalise warned.

Bloomberg News was first to report House Republicans’ 40% tax hike proposal.

When reached for comment, the White House pointed Fox News Digital to comments by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt earlier on Tuesday when she said Trump had not made up his mind on another proposal to raise the corporate tax rate.

‘I’ve seen this idea proposed. I’ve heard this idea discussed. But I don’t believe the president has made a determination on whether he supports it or not,’ Leavitt said.

Fox News Digital also reached out to Johnson’s office for comment.

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Business

Universal’s new Epic Universe park set to generate $2 billion for Florida in year one

Epic things are coming to Orlando.

In a little more than a month, Universal will officially open the doors of its newest theme park, the first major theme park in the Florida area in 25 years, spurring a major shift in Orlando’s tourism industry.

Epic Universe is the largest of all Universal properties at 750 acres and features five themed worlds: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — The Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon — The Isle of Berk, Celestial Park and Dark Universe.

It will join Universal Studios and Walt Disney World in theme park mecca Orlando.

Tourism has long been the leading sector in central Florida, drawing both domestic and international visitors. More than 74 million people journeyed to Orlando in 2023, contributing around 50% of the total sales tax collected in Orange County.

Epic Universe is not only expected to bolster theme park revenues for Universal, as well as its rival just down the highway, Disney, but also bring in billions of dollars to the local economy.

“This is the first major, entirely new theme park in the U.S. in 25 years. This is a compelling reason to visit Orlando,” said Casandra Matej, CEO of Visit Orlando, a tourism trade association. “So, when you see a major milestone project such as Epic Universe, you know it’s going to have definitely a domino effect of economic benefits for our community.”

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Investing

Airbus stock price analysis: big beneficiary of Trump’s trade war

Airbus stock price has imploded in the past few weeks as investors reacted to Donald Trump’s tariffs and the potential supply chain issues. It has crashed from a high of €177.20 in March this year to the current €140. This article explains why the stock is a good beneficiary for the ongoing trade war.

China is a big market for Airbus

The main reason why the Airbus share price is a good buy is its exposure to the Chinese market.

China currently has over 7,500 planes, a figure that will continue growing in the next few years as demand rises.

Donald Trump’s trade wars have hurt Boeing as the number of deliveries has plunged over the years. Data shows that Boeing’s market share has continued falling, and has not had major orders since 2017.

Chinese airlines have focused on Airbus because of the relatively friendlier relations between the two regions. Many also abandoned Boeing because of its many issues, especially on the 737 MAX plane. China Southern canceled 100 orders in 2023, and several other airlines have rejected some of their orders.

Therefore, Airbus will likely continue growing its market share in China, a giant market that is expected to grow in the next few years.

Airbus also sees more orders worldwide, a trend that may continue as Boeing planes get more expensive because of Trump’s tariffs. Airbus has a backlog of about 8,658, while Boeing has just 5,595.

Airbus’s growing market share means the company will have more pricing power over time, boosting its market share.

At the same time, Airbus will compete well with COMAC, the fast-growing Chinese airline manufacturer.

Manufacturing facilities in key geographies

The other competitive advantage is that Airbus has a better manufacturing presence in more countries than Boeing.

Airbus has manufacturing locations in France, Germany, UK, the United States, and China. This means that its business will be less hit by Trump’s tariffs than Boeing. For example, its US deliveries will not be hurt by these tariffs.

Similarly, its deliveries in other countries will avoid these tariffs. Instead, most of Boeing’s manufacturing plants are in the United States. This means that raw materials to manufacture its planes will be tariffed, raising the cost of doing business and hitting its margins over time.

All these factors means that Airbus business will thrive when the anticipated supply chain issues end.

The most recent results showed that Airbus revenue rose from €22.8 billion in Q4’23 to €24.7 billion in Q4’24. In contrast, Boeing had limited growth in 2024 as it was forced to ground the 737 Max plane.

Airbus had an EBIT of €2,424 billion, up from €1.45 billion a year earlier. The net income also jumped to €2.43 billion. This growth means that the firm will continue growing its dividends and buybacks.

Airbus stock price analysis

AIR chart by TradingView

The weekly chart shows that the Airbus share price has been in a strong uptrend in the past few months. It remains above the ascending trendline that connects the lowest swings since September 2020.

The stock remains significantly higher than the 200-week moving average, a sign that bulls are in control for now. Therefore, the Airbus share price will likely continue rising in the coming weeks, with the next key level to watch being at €169.56.

However, a drop below the 200-week and the ascending trendline will validate the bearish view of the double-top chart pattern and point to more downside. In the long term, however, the stock will likely bounce back because of its strong fundamentals.

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Investing

Sensex rockets 1,650 points on April 15, Nifty vaults past 23,300 on US tariff reprieve

Indian equity markets delivered a powerful performance on Tuesday, April 15, closing the session with substantial gains as easing global trade tensions, particularly surrounding US tariffs, ignited broad-based buying across Dalal Street.

The benchmark indices reflected the buoyant mood, scaling significant milestones amidst widespread sectoral participation.

The primary catalyst for the rally was the perceived de-escalation in the US tariff strategy, specifically the surprise pause on “reciprocal” tariffs and the explicit exemption granted to electronics imports over the weekend.

This news sent a wave of optimism through the market, lifting the BSE Sensex by a robust 1,650 points to end the day decisively higher.

Similarly, the Nifty50 comfortably breached and closed above the psychologically important 23,300 mark. The positive sentiment wasn’t confined to large caps; the BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices also participated enthusiastically, each surging by a notable 3%.

Across-the-board gains: realty leads the charge

The rally’s strength was evident in its breadth, with every sectoral index finishing the day in positive territory.

The real estate sector stood out, with the Nifty Realty index soaring over 5% to lead the pack.

Within the Nifty50 basket, financial stocks like IndusInd Bank, Shriram Finance, and Axis Bank were prominent gainers, alongside infrastructure major L&T and automotive heavyweight Tata Motors.

Demonstrating the pervasive buying interest, only a couple of defensive names, HUL and ITC, bucked the trend to end as the session’s notable laggards.

Sector spotlight: auto and banking stocks shine

Automotive and banking stocks were particular beneficiaries of the improved sentiment.

Auto shares gained traction not only from the general tariff relief but also from specific hopes that existing levies on vehicles might be eased. Banking stocks, meanwhile, found support partly on expectations related to easing deposit rate pressures.

While supportive global cues, driven by hopes for a resolution in the US-China trade dynamic, underpinned the rally, investors remained cognizant of underlying risks.

Concerns surrounding potential supply chain disruptions, volatile crude oil prices, and cautious guidance emerging from the Q4 earnings season kept outright euphoria in check.

The day concluded on a decidedly strong note, driven by relief on the global trade front, though the mixed individual stock stories served as a reminder of the diverse factors influencing market dynamics beyond the headline tariff news.

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Investing

IEA joins OPEC in trimming oil demand forecast amid trade strains

The International Energy Agency has lowered its estimate for growth in global oil demand for 2025 as escalating trade tensions have affected the economic outlook.

“While imports of oil, gas and refined products were given exemptions from the tariffs announced by the United States, concerns that the measures could stoke inflation, slow economic growth and intensify trade disputes weighed on oil prices,” the Paris-based energy watchdog said in its April Oil Market Report.

Oil demand forecasts

The agency in its report lowered its forecast for growth in global oil demand in 2025 by 300,000 barrels per day to 730,000 barrels per day.

Growth is expected to slow further in 2026, to 690 kb/d, but risks to the forecasts remain rife given the fast-moving macro backdrop.

The substantial increase in oil consumption during the first quarter of 2025, which was up by 1.2 million barrels per day year-over-year and represented the strongest growth rate since 2023, directly preceded the downgrade, the agency said.

Furthermore, the IEA also said that for the remainder of the year, the growth in global oil demand has been reduced by 400,000 barrels per day.

The agency added that next year, demand growth in oil will be affected as electric vehicles will take up a larger share.

The reduction in forecasts for growth in global oil demand follows a similar move by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries on Monday.

OPEC had reduced its estimate for growth in global oil demand by just 150,000 barrels per day in 2025, citing the impact of US tariffs.

The cartel sees demand rising by 1.3 million barrels per day this year.

However, the IEA’s cut on Tuesday was more drastic.

Moreover, OPEC’s oil demand outlook is more optimistic than other industry forecasts, as it anticipates continued growth in oil consumption for years to come.

This contrasts with the IEA’s prediction that oil demand will peak this decade due to a global shift towards cleaner energy sources.

Supply forecasts

The IEA has also cut its estimate for growth in global oil supply by 260,000 barrels per day to 1.2 million barrels a day in 2025.

The decrease in the estimate for supply growth was attributed to lower output in the US and Venezuela.

Oil production in 2026 is set to rise by 960,000 barrels per day, with offshore projects taking the lead.

In March, the agency said global oil production rose by 590,000 barrels per day to 103.6 million barrels a day.

Supply in March was higher by 910,000 barrels per day compared with the same period last year, with non-OPEC+ supply growth leading in both monthly and annual gains.

Source: IEA

The May output target for OPEC+ will increase by 411,000 barrels per day as the cartel unwinds its voluntary production cuts of 2.2 million barrels a day.

IEA said:

However, the actual increase may be much smaller, as a number of countries, including Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq are already producing well above their targets.

The Tengiz oilfield expansion project, operated by Chevron, has boosted Kazakh crude oil production to a record-breaking 1.8 million barrels per day, according to the IEA.

This puts Kazakhstan some 390,000 barrels a day above its OPEC+ output quota.

US production impacted

The Dallas Fed Energy Survey revealed that US shale companies require an average of $65 per barrel to profitably drill new light tight oil wells, making the sharp decline in oil prices a cause for concern.

“New tariffs may also make it more expensive to buy steel and equipment, further discouraging drilling,” the IEA said.

“Along with the impact of Chinese tariffs on imports of US ethane and LPG, this has resulted in a downward revision of 150 kb/d to our US oil supply forecast for this year, with growth now assessed at 490 kb/d,” IEA said.

The total non-OPEC+ supply is anticipated to increase by 1.3 mb/d, and conventional oil projects remain on schedule, according to the energy agency.

With arduous trade negotiations expected to take place during the coming 90-day reprieve on tariffs and possibly beyond, oil markets are in for a bumpy ride and considerable uncertainties hang over our forecasts for this year and next.

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Investing

US stocks climb higher on Tuesday: Dow jumps 180 points, Nasdaq up 0.4%

US stocks traded mostly in the green on Tuesday, looking to extend their two-day winning streak.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up over 180 points, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite each rose 0.4%.

The Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) slid back below 30 after spiking to around 60 last week.

The corporate earnings season is set to intensify this week, with key reports from United Airlines and Netflix still to come.

Even with companies disclosing quarterly numbers, the actual financial and operational implications of the sweeping trade measures likely won’t materialize until later in the year.

For now, markets remain in wait-and-watch mode.

The tariff threat still lingers

Tuesday’s modest market moves followed a tech-led rebound on Monday, driven by relief over tariff exemptions.

Guidance from US Customs and Border Protection confirmed that electronics — including smartphones, computers, and semiconductors — would be spared from immediate reciprocal tariffs, giving risk assets room to recover.

However, remarks from President Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over the weekend indicated those carve-outs could be temporary, keeping markets on edge.

Despite the bounce, the three major indexes remain underwater relative to their levels before Trump’s tariff announcement on April 2.

The Dow and Nasdaq are still down over 3%, while the S&P 500 has lost more than 4%, underscoring the market’s struggle to stabilize in a volatile, policy-driven environment.

Earnings drive rally in major bank stocks

Bank of America jumped 4% after delivering first-quarter results that topped analyst expectations.

The bank reported an 11% increase in profit to $7.4 billion, or 90 cents per share, with revenue rising 5.9% to $27.51 billion for the quarter.

The performance was driven by a solid rise in net interest income, which reached $14.6 billion, narrowly topping the $14.56 billion estimate from StreetAccount.

Citigroup shares also advanced after the bank posted stronger-than-expected first-quarter results, buoyed by robust performance in its fixed income and equities trading divisions.

The stock was up around 2% in early trade.

The firm reported earnings of $1.96 per share on revenue of $21.50 billion, outpacing Wall Street estimates.

US import prices

US import prices slipped in March, declining 0.1% ahead of the rollout of President Trump’s broad-based tariffs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday.

The drop was largely driven by a 2.3% decline in fuel prices. Economists polled by Dow Jones had expected no change.

On the other side of the ledger, export prices were unchanged for the month after a 0.2% increase in February.

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Investing

Honda considers ramping up US production to offset Trump tariffs, aims for 90% local output

Honda Motor Co. is considering shifting a significant portion of its vehicle production from Mexico and Canada to the United States, amid escalating trade tensions triggered by a new 25% tariff on imported automobiles announced by US President Donald Trump, Nikkei reported on Tuesday.

The Japanese automaker aims to have 90% of cars sold in the US built locally, according to the report.

The company is reportedly looking to increase its US production capacity by as much as 30% over the next two to three years.

The move would help shield the company from the hefty import levy, which could otherwise cost Honda an estimated $4.57 billion annually.

Honda declined to comment on the report, saying the details had not been announced by the company.

New strategy includes Civic hybrid production in Indiana

Even before the tariff was made official, Honda had taken steps to mitigate the risk of higher import costs.

Reuters earlier reported that the next-generation Civic hybrid will be manufactured in Indiana, rather than in Mexico, where production had been originally planned.

The United States remains Honda’s largest market, accounting for nearly 40% of its global vehicle sales.

Last year, Honda sold approximately 1.4 million cars in the US, with about 1 million already built domestically.

Despite the provisions of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which allows for tariff-free trade under certain conditions, the 25% tariff applies even to vehicles that meet USMCA origin requirements.

While increasing US-made content can reduce some of the tariff impact, it cannot fully eliminate it, the Nikkei report said.

To ramp up production in the US, Honda is said to be weighing operational changes including adding a third work shift, expanding weekend production, and hiring additional workers.

However, the reconfiguration is expected to take at least two years due to the complex nature of realigning supply chains and factory capacities.

Automaker shares rise as Trump signals possible exemptions

Shares of automakers worldwide rose following remarks from President Trump suggesting the administration might consider temporary exemptions from the tariffs.

“I’m looking at something to help some of the car companies,” Trump said in Washington, adding that firms “need a little bit of time” to restructure their manufacturing operations.

The prospect of relief buoyed stocks across the sector.

Toyota and Honda gained 3.7% and 3.6% respectively, while Tata Motors rose 4.7% and Hyundai climbed 4.3%.

European carmakers, including Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW, also posted gains of over 2%.

Industry rethinks strategy as others respond to tariffs

Automakers have begun reevaluating their production strategies in response to the trade policy shift.

Stellantis has announced temporary shutdowns at its Windsor and Toluca plants. Ford is leaning on domestic inventory, launching a customer-wide “From America for America” pricing initiative.

General Motors is boosting output at its Fort Wayne, Indiana, plant to meet expected demand for light-duty trucks.

The industry now faces a period of strategic recalibration as it adapts to the new economic landscape shaped by Washington’s evolving trade agenda.

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Politics

SEN ELIZABETH WARREN: Social Security is under attack. Gutting it is a broken promise

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Gutting Social Security isn’t ‘efficient’ — it’s a broken promise. Democrats and Republicans should stand up and fight back to protect it.

Social Security is not charity. Americans pay in, paycheck after paycheck, over a lifetime of hard work. When they get older, they get that money back to help them retire. That’s the iron-clad, take-it-to-the-bank promise that America makes to workers.

But right now, Social Security is under attack like it has never been before. Billionaire Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said seniors won’t complain if they miss a Social Security check. Elon Musk called Social Security the ‘world’s biggest Ponzi scheme.’ Musk then sent his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to gut the agency by indiscriminately firing workers, closing down offices, and trying to cut phone services.

What does it mean to slash staff and services with no rhyme or reason? Two things: more mistakes in delivering checks to Americans, and fewer workers to fix those mistakes. And when people don’t get their checks, that’s a cut to the benefits they have earned.

Mistakes are already showing up. After DOGE got its hands on Social Security, Ned, a retiree from Washington state, was marked ‘dead’ in the Social Security system — despite being very much alive. He had $5,000 in benefits snatched right out of his bank account (paid while he was ‘dead’) and his monthly checks ceased. Ned spent weeks trying to fix the mistake and still hasn’t gotten paid back for two months of missing checks.

Or take Tom and Chris from Westborough, Massachusetts, whose son has autism. For years, disability benefits through Social Security have helped pay for his care. And for years, those benefits have come through on time, without fail. But when they checked their son’s Social Security account recently, his benefits had been terminated. No explanation — just stopped. The money eventually came through, but it led to panic over how they would pay the bills.

And while people aren’t getting their checks, there are fewer Social Security workers to help fix problems. Slashing staff and shutting down regional offices means Americans are forced to drive hours to get help with their applications or missing benefits. Once they get to an office, the lines can be out the door. They wait hours before they can get help — if they get help at all.

Elon Musk and DOGE claim the reason they’re hacking away at people’s Social Security is to cut down on ‘extreme levels of fraud,’ saying tens of millions of dead people over the age of 100 are getting payments. But even current Social Security Acting Administrator Leland Dudek — put in place by Donald Trump in February — contradicts that claim.

Here’s the thing: if Elon Musk and DOGE truly want to cut waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government, there are easy ways to do it. I gave them 30 suggestions that would cut $2 trillion in government waste. Gutting the Social Security Administration so that it works worse for our seniors, veterans, and Americans with disabilities is not one of those ways.

But don’t just take it from me. President George W. Bush’s Social Security Administration Commissioner said that if Elon Musk and DOGE wanted to make changes to increase efficiency at the agency, they could, ‘but we’re doing it the way that 22-year-old frat boys that have never seen the system think is a good idea, and that’s a mistake.’

Musk himself said he’ll make mistakes, and it’s clear that coming for Social Security is a giant one. If he’s really honest enough to admit his own mistakes, why doesn’t he reverse course? Instead of recognizing that DOGE’s Social Security takeover is only hurting Americans, he’s doubling down, even encouraging President Trump to make the same false claims. President George W. Bush’s Social Security Commissioner called it ‘a real disservice to President Trump.’ More importantly, it’s a deep disservice to the American people.

We shouldn’t be cutting Social Security services and threatening Americans’ benefits — we should be making the program stronger. People are struggling with sky-high prices while their retirement savings are evaporating. We need a temporary increase in benefits right now to give people some relief. We should also protect the long-term security of the system by lifting the cap on the amount millionaires and billionaires pay into Social Security, which would also yield enough money to permanently expand benefits.

Social Security shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It was first created by a nearly unanimous vote by members of Congress from both parties. Even now, as gutting the agency has become a key part of the administration’s agenda, Republicans know that DOGE’s ‘efficiency’ mission isn’t working. They’re seeing reports of long lines at offices, long waits on the phone, and website crashes from their own constituents in places like Arizona, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. So where are they? Why are Democrats the only ones concerned about what happens with Social Security?

Social Security isn’t something we give away out of the goodness of our hearts. It’s something Americans earned over a lifetime of hard work — an ironclad contract that they can count on. Now, Donald Trump, Musk, and DOGE are trying to skip out on that contract and calling it ‘efficient.’ But it isn’t efficiency — it’s a broken promise to the American people, and Democrats and Republicans alike should stand up and fight back.

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