Former U.S. President Joe Biden delivered a pointed rebuke of the Trump administration’s approach to welfare programs on Tuesday, accusing it of gutting Social Security and jeopardizing support for millions of Americans. Speaking at a disability rights conference in Chicago, Biden said the administration had “taken a hatchet” to the Social Security system, one of the country’s most vital safety nets.

“In under 100 days, this new administration has caused so much damage, it’s kind of breathtaking,” Biden said. While he did not mention Donald Trump by name, the former president’s policies were clearly the target of his remarks. Biden described Social Security as a “sacred promise” that has profoundly shaped the lives of retirees, people with disabilities, and working families for generations.

The Social Security Administration (SSA), which currently provides benefits to over 67 million Americans, has come under increasing strain in recent months. Since February, the agency has been subject to cost-cutting initiatives led by Elon Musk, who now oversees the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Musk, who has controversially referred to Social Security as “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time,” is advancing a plan to eliminate 7,000 SSA jobs.

President Trump has defended the cuts as necessary to eliminate fraud and reduce improper payments—particularly those made to undocumented immigrants. However, his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, insisted that core benefits are not under threat. “He will always protect Social Security,” she told reporters. “President Trump is committed to safeguarding benefits for tax-paying American citizens and seniors.”

Biden, meanwhile, avoided discussion of the 2024 election or his departure from office, choosing instead to focus his message on the importance of preserving Social Security’s integrity.

“We know just how much this program means,” he said. “For many families, it’s the only thing keeping them afloat.”

Following Biden’s remarks, the SSA—now under the leadership of a Trump-appointed director—fired back on social media. “Biden has been lying,” the agency posted on X (formerly Twitter), accusing the former president of spreading misinformation.

The clash over Social Security adds to a growing list of politically charged disputes between Trump and Biden, as debates over the future of U.S. entitlement programs intensify amid mounting fiscal pressure and a shifting political landscape.