Americans deserve honest discussions about Social Security. Unfortunately, that’s not what’s happening.

Remarks about Social Security from Elon Musk — a Trump administration adviser assigned to find ways to cut government spending — have drawn an outsized response from Democrats. Meanwhile, the administration seems intent on demeaning functions of the U.S. safety net program enacted 90 years ago.

During a Feb. 28 appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Musk said this: “Social Security is the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.” He later added, “We better fix what we’ve got right now, because if it’s bad now, it’s going to be much worse in the future.”

In a March 13 letter to SSA Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek, House Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee claimed Republicans for years have been gunning to slash Social Security benefits.

“Now, President Trump is spreading widely discredited lies about the program and its integrity; Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, is calling Social Security a ‘Ponzi scheme’; and on your watch, the Trump Administration is taking a wrecking ball to SSA,” said Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal, D-Mass. “Undermining SSA’s ability to serve the public is the next step in a calculated effort to dismantle trust in Social Security and open the door to privatization — an outcome that benefits Wall Street, not working families.”

A “Ponzi scheme” is understood to be an illegal pyramid operation that takes money from new investors to pay current investors. More investors are needed over time to pay off earlier members and eventually the pyramid collapses.

Comparing a government program that pays benefits to 72 million Americans to an illegal scheme is alarming, but Musk’s assessment is not without credibility. Unless reforms come through, Social Security’s trust funds won’t be able to pay 100% of benefits by 2035. Technically, it’s not a Ponzi setup, but unless there’s a fix — as Musk has said — it could resemble one.

So what might the fix be?

The Trump administration insists benefits won’t be cut. Social Security payments won’t be touched, other than to look for fraud, the president has said repeatedly in interviews.

Is there fraud? Undoubtedly. Are payments being made, as Trump has claimed, to “many” of the millions of dead people in Social Security databases? At best, he’s grossly exaggerating. At worst, it’s a deliberate lie.

Aside from preventing Social Security fraud, there are known ways to address a looming shortfall without turning to privatization. This includes increasing the payroll tax, or raising the cap on income from which Social Security taxes are withheld. Neither of which, however, would seem to have Trump’s support.

Could it be true, then, that the administration is “taking a wrecking ball” to SSA?

There are plans to cut jobs and close some offices. SSA says it’s moving to identify efficiencies, reduce costs and safeguard against fraud.

Former SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley, who was nominated during the Biden administration, doubts the administration’s motives are sincere. During a recent event with the National Academy of Social Insurance, he said this: “I really hope I’m wrong, but I believe that most of the actions necessary to create a total system collapse of Social Security have already been taken.”

In response to criticisms, SSA says it’s committed to ensuring that all Americans can get the help they need whether “in our field offices, telephone, or through automated solutions.”

This war of words aside, the reality of what happens to Social Security next seems increasingly day-to-day.

Last week, Dudek raised the possibility of ceasing SSA operations. His warning came after a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to block staffers at Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing sensitive data housed at the agency.

After receiving assurances from U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander that her decision would have no bearing on ordinary operations at SSA, Dudek backed down from a threat to terminate access by all SSA employees to the agency’s IT systems.

“President Trump supports keeping Social Security offices open and getting the right check to the right person at the right time,” Dudek said in statement late Friday. “SSA employees and their work will continue under the temporary restraining order.”

At least 72 million Americans are grateful.