Trump Mocks Media Attempts to Split Him from Musk; Leavitt: “Tens of Millions” in Fraudulent Social Security

On Presidents’ Day 2025, a compilation captured three distinct moments that illustrated the Trump administration’s messaging strategy. First, Trump sat alongside Elon Musk and openly mocked media efforts to drive a wedge between them, saying “it’s just so obvious, they’re so bad at it” and noting that “the people are smart — they get it.” Second, Trump stepped out of the presidential limousine to greet cheering fans gathered along the roadside. Third, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared on Sean Hannity’s show to announce that DOGE had been directed to investigate the Social Security Administration, where the team suspected “tens of millions of deceased people” were receiving fraudulent payments.

”They’re So Bad at It”

The first segment captured Trump and Musk together, directly addressing the media narrative that had attempted to portray tension between the president and his DOGE chief.

“Actually, Elon called me. He said, ‘You know, they’re trying to drive us apart,’” Trump recounted. “I said, absolutely. No, they said, we are ‘breaking news: Donald Trump has ceded control of the presidency to Elon Musk. President Musk will be attending a cabinet meeting tonight at 8 o’clock.’”

Trump delivered the punchline with evident enjoyment: “And I say, it’s just so obvious. They’re so bad at it. I used to think they were good at it. They’re actually bad at it. Because if they were good at it, I’d never be president.”

He then offered a broader observation about media coverage. “Because I think nobody in history has ever gotten more bad publicity than me. I could do the greatest things. I get 98% bad publicity,” Trump said. “But you know what I have learned, Elon? The people are smart. They get it.”

Musk agreed: “Yeah, they do, actually. They get it. They really see what’s happening.”

The exchange accomplished several things simultaneously. It demonstrated that Trump and Musk were aware of the media’s “divide and conquer” strategy and were actively laughing at it. It showed the two men sitting together in apparent comfort and mutual respect, directly contradicting the narrative of friction. And it reinforced Trump’s longstanding argument that mainstream media coverage was overwhelmingly negative but ultimately ineffective because the public had learned to see through it.

The “President Musk” narrative had been pushed by Democratic politicians and media commentators as a way to characterize Musk’s influence within the administration as a constitutional threat. By treating the narrative as comedy rather than controversy, Trump neutralized it. It was hard to sustain a serious argument about a power struggle when the two principals were sitting together making jokes about it.

Trump Steps Out for Fans on Presidents’ Day

In a brief but visually striking moment, Trump’s motorcade paused and the president stepped out of “the Beast” — the presidential limousine — to acknowledge cheering fans who had gathered along the roadside on Presidents’ Day.

The crowd erupted into chants of “USA! USA! USA!” as Trump waved and engaged with supporters. The spontaneous interaction was the kind of unscripted presidential moment that conveyed a personal connection between Trump and his base.

The Presidents’ Day setting added symbolic resonance. The holiday, which honors the nation’s presidents, provided a natural backdrop for Trump to demonstrate that he was not merely holding the office but actively engaging with the public that had elected him. The contrast with Biden — who had spent extensive time at private residences away from public view during his presidency — was implicit but unmistakable.

Leavitt: DOGE Directed to Investigate Social Security Fraud

The most substantive news came from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s appearance on Sean Hannity’s Fox News program, where she announced a major new direction for DOGE.

“I’ve been fighting fake news reporters all day long here in the Washington, D.C. swamp who are trying to fear-monger the American people into believing that this administration is going after their hard-earned tax dollars and their hard-earned Social Security checks,” Leavitt told Hannity. “So I want to set the record straight on your show tonight, Sean, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to do so.”

Leavitt then made the announcement: “President Trump has directed Elon Musk and the DOGE team to identify fraud at the Social Security Administration.”

She described what DOGE expected to find. “They haven’t dug into the books yet, but they suspect that there are tens of millions of deceased people who are receiving fraudulent Social Security payments,” Leavitt said.

The scope of the suspected fraud was staggering. If “tens of millions” of deceased individuals were receiving payments, the financial scale would run into the billions of dollars annually. The Social Security Administration maintains a Death Master File that is supposed to trigger the cessation of benefits when a beneficiary dies, but the system had long been known to have gaps and delays that allowed payments to continue to deceased beneficiaries — sometimes for years.

Three Goals of the DOGE Investigation

Leavitt outlined the specific objectives of the Social Security investigation with unusual clarity.

“Their goal in going into the Social Security Administration is to identify three things,” she said. “Number one, to identify duplicate payments and to end them. Number two, to identify payments that are going to deceased people who are no longer living and should no longer be receiving that money. And number three, to protect the integrity of this system for hardworking Americans who have been paying into it their entire lives.”

The three-point structure was designed to make the investigation’s purpose unmistakable: find duplicates, stop payments to dead people, and protect the system for legitimate beneficiaries. Each point was straightforward and defensible. No reasonable person could argue against ending duplicate payments or stopping checks from going to deceased individuals.

The third point — protecting system integrity — was the political shield. By framing the investigation as protective rather than reductive, Leavitt preempted the Democratic attack line that DOGE was coming for seniors’ Social Security checks. The investigation’s purpose was not to cut benefits but to ensure that the benefits went to the people who had earned them, rather than being siphoned off by fraud.

”Do Not Buy Into the Lies”

Leavitt concluded with a direct message to Social Security recipients who might have been alarmed by media coverage.

“So rest assured to all of the people watching your show tonight: if you paid into the system honestly, you will continue to receive your Social Security checks,” Leavitt said. “Do not buy into the lies from the legacy fake news media who are trying to fear you and scare you into believing otherwise.”

She connected the Social Security issue to the administration’s broader narrative about media credibility. “This is what we’ve seen them do about President Trump for years with every promise that he has made,” Leavitt said. “And he’s going in there to protect your hard-earned money. That is the ultimate goal.”

The assurance was politically essential. Social Security was the most popular government program in the United States, and any suggestion that it might be cut was political poison. By leading with the fraud angle — tens of millions of payments going to deceased people — the administration framed the DOGE investigation as a defense of Social Security rather than an attack on it. The enemy was not the program but the fraud within the program.

The Messaging Triangle

The three segments formed a coherent messaging triangle. Trump and Musk’s joint appearance demonstrated unity at the top of the administration. The Presidents’ Day crowd interaction showed public enthusiasm for the president. And Leavitt’s Social Security announcement provided the policy substance that gave the populist energy a specific direction.

The common thread was the administration’s relationship with the public versus the media. Trump said the people were smart enough to see through media narratives. The crowd’s enthusiastic response demonstrated that support in real time. And Leavitt’s message to Social Security recipients was framed as truth-telling against media fear-mongering.

Key Takeaways

• Trump and Musk sat together and mocked media efforts to divide them, with Trump calling the “President Musk” narrative “so obvious” and saying “they’re so bad at it.”
• Trump stepped out of the presidential limousine on Presidents’ Day to greet cheering fans chanting “USA!” along the roadside.
• Leavitt announced DOGE had been directed to investigate the Social Security Administration, where the team suspected “tens of millions of deceased people” were receiving fraudulent payments.
• The DOGE Social Security investigation has three goals: end duplicate payments, stop payments to deceased recipients, and protect system integrity for legitimate beneficiaries.
• Leavitt told viewers: “If you paid into the system honestly, you will continue to receive your Social Security checks. Do not buy into the lies from the legacy fake news media.”