Fact-Checking President Trump’s 2025 Congressional Address: Misleading Claims on Social Security and Federal Waste
On March 26, 2025, former President Donald Trump delivered a nationally televised address to Congress, outlining his policy agenda as the Republican Party's leading figure ahead of the 2026 midterms. As is often the case with high-profile speeches from major political figures, Trump’s remarks contained a number of questionable or outright false claims, particularly around government waste, Social Security, and border policy.
This fact check focuses specifically on Trump's most controversial claim: that millions of Americans listed in Social Security records are over the age of 100, with millions more allegedly over the age of 130. These numbers, he implied, were proof of massive fraud and waste within the Social Security Administration. The assertion quickly made headlines, prompting a wave of public confusion and political debate.
We investigated these claims and consulted official sources, independent watchdogs, and fact-checking agencies to assess their accuracy.
Claim: “Government databases list 4.7 million Social Security members aged 100 to 109 years old, and 3.9 million people aged 130 to 139.”
Status: False
Trump’s claim appears to stem from a misrepresentation of an old inspector general report from the Social Security Administration (SSA), which reviewed discrepancies in death reporting but did not suggest active fraud on the scale Trump alleges.
According to a 2015 SSA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report, the agency had difficulties in updating records for deceased individuals, leading to over 6 million records without a date of death. However, that does not mean that these individuals were actively receiving Social Security benefits, nor does it suggest they were alive and collecting payments. Many of these records were of people born before 1901 whose death had simply never been confirmed in the SSA's system.
The original OIG report never claimed that these people were collecting benefits or that they were part of an ongoing fraud scheme. Instead, it highlighted clerical errors, missing death data, and poor database hygiene, particularly for very old records in long-retired formats (such as paper).
"These errors, while concerning from a data integrity standpoint, did not necessarily result in improper payments," said the SSA in response to Trump’s claims. Source: CBS News, March 26, 2025
Further analysis by PolitiFact and FactCheck.org also confirmed that there is no evidence that millions of centenarians or supercentenarians are drawing Social Security checks. Instead, they highlighted that less than 0.01% of beneficiaries are over 100 years old, a figure consistent with global demographic data.
The Origin of the Myth
Trump’s talking point has roots in far-right conspiracy theories that have long accused the SSA and other federal agencies of rampant fraud and corruption. These ideas have circulated in political circles and social media since at least the Obama era and were given new life in 2016 by viral posts alleging that dead voters were being registered by Democratic campaigns.
By invoking such inflated numbers, Trump aims to reinforce a narrative that the federal government is both incompetent and corrupt—particularly on issues like benefits distribution and voter integrity. However, the actual data offers no such proof.
The SSA has taken significant steps over the past decade to modernize its death reporting systems and prevent improper payments. According to the SSA’s latest performance report, over 99.5% of death notifications are now processed accurately and in real time, thanks to partnerships with funeral homes, the IRS, and state-level agencies.
"Our modern electronic death reporting systems are now among the most accurate in the world," noted SSA Acting Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi in a 2024 congressional hearing.
How Many Centenarians Actually Receive Benefits?
According to SSA data for 2024, approximately 104,000 Americans over the age of 100 were actively receiving Social Security retirement benefits. This figure is entirely plausible and reflects the rising life expectancy in developed countries.
The United Nations estimates that by 2030, there will be over 573,000 centenarians worldwide, with the U.S. accounting for around 20% of that number. The idea that millions of people aged 130+ exist within a single national database is statistically and biologically implausible.
The oldest verified human being, Jeanne Calment, lived to the age of 122. No individual in history has been confirmed to live beyond that age. Therefore, Trump's claim of "3.9 million people aged 130 to 139" strains credulity.
"If 3.9 million people aged 130+ were alive and on government rolls, the Guinness World Records would have a lot of work to do," quipped journalist Daniel Dale of CNN.
Broader Implications
This kind of disinformation, especially when delivered during major addresses, has a compounding effect on public trust in institutions. Many Americans may come away believing their tax dollars are being funneled to dead people or nonexistent individuals, even though official records and independent audits repeatedly confirm otherwise.
"Statements like these are not just exaggerations—they are corrosive to civic understanding and policy debate," said the Brookings Institution in a policy memo following the speech.
The risks are heightened during election years, when misinformation can sway voter sentiment and be used to justify radical policy proposals, such as slashing Social Security benefits or privatizing the program entirely.
Conclusion
Donald Trump’s claim that millions of Americans aged 100+ and even 130+ are listed in government databases is false and misleading. While outdated death records have historically been an issue for the SSA, they have not resulted in the kind of fraud or payments Trump suggests.
Multiple fact-checking outlets, official government records, and actuarial data disprove the claim. Still, this talking point may continue to circulate, especially on social media, where sensationalism often outpaces accuracy.
For now, there is no credible evidence that the Social Security system is bleeding billions of dollars to nonexistent supercentenarians. The issue lies in outdated recordkeeping systems, not intentional fraud.
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