Biden: Trump Has 'Taken a Hatchet' to Social Security

Former President Joe Biden warned on Tuesday that President Trump has "taken a hatchet" to Social Security, weighing in on a critical issue for millions of Americans as the 82-year-old Democrat briefly returned to the national stage. Biden, who has largely avoided speaking publicly since leaving the White House in January, delivered his pointed message during an evening speech at the national conference of Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled in Chicago, the AP reports. The former president was speaking as Democrats across the nation offered similar warnings for what they described as a Social Security Day of Action.

• "In fewer than 100 days, this new administration has done so much damage and so much destruction. It's kind of breathtaking," Biden charged. "They've taken a hatchet to the Social Security Administration."

• While Biden has made a handful of public appearances in recent weeks, Tuesday's high-profile address focuses on a critical issue for tens of millions of Americans that could define next year's midterm elections. It also marks the first time since leaving office that he has explicitly attacked Trump, who continues to blame Biden for many of the nation's problems and often attacks his predecessor by name.
• "This is an all hands on deck moment, which is why President Biden's voice in this moment is so important," Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a call with reporters ahead of Biden's speech.
• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt took a shot at the former president's age when asked about his speech earlier in the day. "I'm shocked that he is speaking at nighttime," Leavitt said during Tuesday's White House press briefing. "I thought his bedtime was much earlier than his speech tonight."

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