WATCH: ‘I’ve never thought about privatizing’ social security, Trump nominee says
March 25, 2025
19,590
248
1.27%
Search the Record
IndexedEvery word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
Amna Nawaz Episodes Around March 25, 2025
See what was published immediately before and after this episode.
4:31Now PlayingWATCH: ‘I’ve never thought about privatizing’ social security, Trump nominee says
YouTube Description
as posted by the channelPresident Donald Trump’s nominee to run the Social Security Administration told senators on Tuesday that he’s never thought about privatizing the program that provides retirement and disability benefits to millions of Americans.
Privatization is “not a word that anybody's ever talked to me about,” Frank Bisignano told the Senate Finance Committee. “I don't see this institution as anything other than a government agency that gets run for the benefit of the American public.”
When Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said that he hoped “that that is the way this ends.” Bisignano responded: “You’ve got my guarantee I’ll make it end that way.”
Whitehouse also addressed concerns that the president and Elon Musk are discrediting Social Security to diminish public confidence in the program and, eventually, allow the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and private equity to take over the program.
The hearing comes as the agency has started to implement cuts and changes that advocates fear will diminish a service that is already understaffed and prone to long wait times.
Up to 7,000 people could be laid off as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the federal work force, the agency said in a statement. A few dozen field offices were listed for closure by DOGE, as the agency announced plans to require in-person identity checks and restrict what can be verified over the phone or online.
More than 70 million people receive Social Security benefits. Musk has claimed without evidence to have uncovered widespread fraud in the agency. Trump and Republican leaders have promised to protect Social Security benefits, though some administration officials, like Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, have spoken about the possibility of disruptions in benefits.
Subscribe for exclusive content in our newsletters
PBS News podcasts
Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app
Find more from PBS News at
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Guests & Subjects Covered
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.