A video clip of former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg explaining Social Security Administration (SSA) database issues on the Flagrant podcast hosted by comedian Andrew Schulz has gained major traction online, amassing 2 million views in just one day on X, formerly Twitter.
The viral clip features Buttigieg, who worked in former President Joe Biden‘s administration, addressing misconceptions about deceased individuals receiving SSA benefits, clarifying the difference between being listed in a database and actually receiving payments.
Newsweek has reached out to the SSA via email on Saturday for comment.
Why It Matters
In 2025, an average of almost 69 million Americans per month will receive a Social Security benefit, according to the SSA, totaling about $1.6 trillion in benefits paid during the year. Social Security is a major source of income for most people over age 65.
Buttigieg’s interview comes amid controversy surrounding Elon Musk‘s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been conducting what it calls “a major cleanup” of Social Security records.
The cleanup began after Musk incorrectly claimed in February that millions of people over 100 years old could be collecting benefits. The SSA later clarified these figures were misinterpreted, explaining the records Musk referenced include individuals who, while not receiving benefits, have records lacking a recorded date of death.
What To Know
During a Wednesday appearance on Flagrant, which was hosted by Schulz, Akaash Singh and Mark Gagnon, Buttigieg provided a detailed explanation about Social Security records.
“Again, DOGE says they make it sound like there’s like millions of dead people getting Social Security. Exactly. We’re just not. That’s just not true.”
Singh then asked: “So how many are getting? Are there dead people? That’s because this seemed to me, fact.”
Buttigieg responded: “One thing to think about is like, obviously, the vast majority of people who die of old age are getting Social Security the day they die, right? So, like, for at least a minute or a week or a month or however long it takes, right? There’s that process of updating. But part of it had to do with how the database was built, and you just didn’t necessarily remove everybody from the database. It didn’t mean they were getting money, but it meant they were in the database.”
He continued: “You could twist that into looking like, this is what the president [Donald Trump] did in his speech. Like, it’s true there’s…
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