In 2025, Taylor Robson praised Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” and wanted to create an “Arizona DOGE” as DOGE-driven cuts and downsizing were affecting the federal government’s ability to deliver services to seniors. More than 1.53 million Arizonans relied on Social Security benefits.
Taylor Robson promoted DOGE even though it resulted in federal funding cuts to Arizona nonprofits and organizations, and federal layoffs threatened the livelihoods of 34,000 federal workers in Arizona.
2025: Taylor Robson Said She Would Start An “Arizona DOGE” And Claimed That Recent Fraud Discoveries In The State Were “Just The Tip Of The Iceberg.” According to Taylor Robson at a Cochise County Meet and Greet, “Number one, we're going to have our own Arizona Doge. President Trump revealed at the federal level how much waste, fraud and abuse there is in the federal government. Well, believe me, it's going on in the state government. I don't know if any of you saw the reports a month or so ago about the Pakistani guy, but we don't know if he ever stepped foot in Arizona, defrauded our access program by over $500 million. I mean, how does that happen? Do we not have any check and balance sheet? $264 million in uninsurance claims or insurance claims that they don't know where they are? Indeed, yes. And so that's just the tip of the iceberg.” [Karrin Taylor Robson – Cochise County Meet And Greet, 8/15/25] (VIDEO)
HEADLINE: "Social Security Stops Reporting Call Wait Times And Other Metrics" [Washington Post, 6/20/25]
HEADLINE: "As Social Security Services Are Cut Back, Millions Of Seniors Face Long Drives" [Axios, 6/8/25]
HEADLINE: "Social Security Website Keeps Crashing, As DOGE Demands Cuts To IT Staff" [Washington Post, 4/7/25]
HEADLINE: "Social Security Faces Thousands More Job Cuts Even With Service In Tailspin" [Washington Post, 4/4/25]
The Center On Budget And Policy Priorities Said The Trump Administration Had Pushed Out 7,000 Social Security Workers. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "Over the past five months, the Trump Administration has forced the Social Security Administration (SSA) through a radical transformation that threatens to disrupt services for the largely older and severely disabled people who most rely on the agency.[1] The Trump Administration and its so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have created huge gaps in customer service and support by indiscriminately pushing out 7,000 workers to hit an arbitrary staffing reduction target. This is the largest staffing cut in SSA’s history.[2] (See Figure 1.)" [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 6/23/25]
The Social Security Administration Website Crashed Four Times In Ten Days In March 2025 Because Servers Were Overloaded. According to the Washington Post, "The Social Security Administration website crashed four times in 10 days this month because the servers were overloaded, blocking millions of retirees and disabled Americans from logging in to their online accounts. In the field, office managers have resorted to answering phones in place of receptionists because so many employees have been pushed out. Amid all this, the agency no longer has a system to monitor customer experience because that office was eliminated as part of the cost-cutting efforts led by Elon Musk. And the phones keep ringing. And ringing." [Washington Post, 3/25/25]
Field Office Managers At Social Security Offices Had To Answer Phones In Place Of Receptionists Because DOGE Had Pushed Out So Many Federal Employees. According to the Washington Post, "The Social Security Administration website crashed four times in 10 days this month because the servers were overloaded, blocking millions of retirees and disabled Americans from logging in to their online accounts. In the field, office managers have resorted to answering phones in place of receptionists because so many employees have been pushed out. Amid all this, the agency no longer has a system to monitor customer experience because that office was eliminated as part of the cost-cutting efforts led by Elon Musk. And the phones keep ringing. And ringing." [Washington Post, 3/25/25]
DOGE Eliminated The Social Security Administration’s System To Monitor Customer Experience. According to the Washington Post, "The Social Security Administration website crashed four times in 10 days this month because the servers were overloaded, blocking millions of retirees and disabled Americans from logging in to their online accounts. In the field, office managers have resorted to answering phones in place of receptionists because so many employees have been pushed out. Amid all this, the agency no longer has a system to monitor customer experience because that office was eliminated as part of the cost-cutting efforts led by Elon Musk. And the phones keep ringing. And ringing." [Washington Post, 3/25/25]
Early February-Late March 2025: AARP Said More Than 2,000 People Per Week Had Called Expressing Concerns About Whether They Would Continue To Get Their Social Security Benefits. According to the Washington Post, "Alarmed lawmakers are straining to answer questions back home from angry constituents. Calls have flooded into congressional offices. AARP announced Monday that more than 2,000 people a week have called the retiree organization since early February — double the usual number — with concerns about whether benefit's they paid for during their working careers will continue. Social Security is the primary source of income for about 40 percent of older Americans." [Washington Post, 3/25/25]
In Arizona, 1,533,323 Arizonans Relied On Social Security Benefits. According to the Social Security Administration, in 2024, 1,533,323 Arizonans received Social Security benefits. [Social Security Administration, Arizona, 2024]
April 2025: DOGE Cut $6 Million In Federal Funding From Fourteen Arizona Nonprofits And Organizations, Including $380,000 From The AmeriCorp’s Kind People Project, A Program That Helped Title I Schools Across The Valley. According to AZ Family, “Fourteen Arizona nonprofits and organizations are losing an estimated $6 million from federal funding cuts. The Trump Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is cutting $400 million from AmeriCorps, a program that helps local communities with critical needs. The Be Kind People Project’s $380,000 grant was canceled over the weekend, with 1.5 years left on the contract. Now, 13 AmeriCorps employees who work with ‘Be Kind’ are getting let go. Those employees worked at 13 predominantly Title I schools across the Valley, and they’ve helped thousands of kids with youth development and hundreds of teachers, too. […] See below for a full list of Arizona programs that are losing funding: Northern Arizona University Arizona Teacher Residency Arizona Supreme Court Probation Services Division Arizona State University BE SAGE Program Northern Arizona University Environmental Steward AmeriCorps West Valley Health Equity Northern Arizona University Public Health Executive Office of State of Arizona Placeholder Funds for future allocation Family Scholar House, Inc Vista College Preparatory, Inc. Pima Prevention Partnership Maricopa Superior Court Law Library Parental Support Services AZ Inc Area Agency on Aging, Region One, Inc The Be Kind People Project” [AZ Family, 4/30/25]
March 2025: DOGE Cuts Could Impact Arizona’s 34,000 Federal Workers. According to AZ Central, “Arizona has 34,000 workers who could be impacted by the DOGE cuts, according to the Congressional Research Service. They represent roughly 2% of the civilian federal workers who are employed across every state and territory.” [AZ Central, 3/9/25]