In 2025, Raffensperger praised Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” for “rightsizing” the government as DOGE-driven cuts and downsizing were affecting the federal government’s ability to deliver services to seniors. More than 2 million Georgians relied on Social Security benefits.
Raffensperger said the actions of DOGE showed the Trump administration was fulfilling its responsibility to be “stewards of the tax dollars of hard-working Americans,” even though DOGE policies resulted in $815 million in federal funding cuts to Georgia nonprofits, universities, and organizations and threatened the livelihoods of 115,600 federal workers in Georgia.
2025: Raffensperger Believed That “Government Should Operate The Same Way” As A Business, “Trying To Get The Best Value For Our Taxpayers,” And Lauded GOP Lawmakers Who “Got The Message: How Do We Size Government To Get The Job Done With The Right Number Of People?” According to Raffensperger at the Networking at Lunch Chamber Luncheon, “I'm good with pencil sharpening because I’m using numbers also come out of the construction business. And one thing I know is in contracts, general contractors never pay a nickel more than they need to pay because the developers never pay a nickel more and so on it rolls down the hill. So, you really have sharp pencils. And I believe government should operate the same way, trying to get the best value for our taxpayers. Because everyone in this room is a taxpayer. [...] How do we deliver value every day for taxpayers? That's what drives me every day when I work in this office as secretary of state and any office I ever will hold and any office that I've held in the past, that I think that needs to be paramount. And I'm so grateful that finally in Washington, D.C., they got the message: How do we size government to get the job done with the right number of people?” [Raffensperger Networking At Lunch Chamber Luncheon, 5/1/25] (AUDIO)
2025: Raffensperger Praised DOGE And Elon Musk’s Effort To “Rightsize” Government And Ensure It’s “Effective.” According to Raffensperger on the Brian Kilmeade Show, “Look at how all the out-of-control spending. And meanwhile, hardworking Georgians, hardworking Americans, were getting hit every day. They were struggling, trying to keep up with Biden inflation. And so, all those things came together. People know they need to make a change and they made a change and they're doing in a big way. What Elon Musk is trying to do with DOGE is rightsize government. We want to make sure that government is the right size and it's effective. We have shown that you can have fast elections. You can get the results quickly. Why can't we do that in all government agencies.” [Brad Raffensperger Interview - Brian Kilmeade Show, 3/31/25] (AUDIO)
2025: Raffensperger Claimed That “Every Elected Official In America Should Start Every Day Remembering That They Are Stewards Of The Tax Dollars Of Hard-Working Americans” And Was “Glad We Finally Have An Administration That Takes This Responsibility Seriously.” According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “And Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a potential Senate candidate with a history of run-ins with Trump, offered praise for Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency cost-cutting initiative. ‘Every elected official in America should start every day remembering that they are stewards of the tax dollars of hard-working Americans,’ he said, ‘and I’m glad we finally have an administration that takes this responsibility seriously.’” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2/20/25]
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 benefits 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 Georgia, 2,023,789 Individuals Relied On Social Security Benefits. According to the Social Security Administration, in 2024, 2,023,789 Georgians received Social Security benefits. [Social Security Administration, Georgia, 2024]
April 2025: DOGE Cut More Than $815 Million In Federal Grants To Georgia Public Schools, Universities, Public Health, Mental Health Services, Housing, Immigrant Services, Agriculture, And International Causes. According to State Affairs, “A State Affairs analysis of DOGE data found that as of mid-April, more than $815 million in federal grants for public schools, universities, public health, mental health services, housing, immigrant services, agriculture and international causes based in Georgia have been cut.” [State Affairs, 5/2/25]
March 2025: DOGE Cuts Could Impact 115,600 Georgia Federal Workers. According to State Affairs, “Roughly 115,600 federal workers were employed in Georgia as of March, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, though analysts anticipate that number will drop in the coming months.” [State Affairs, 5/2/25]
May 2025: The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention In Atlanta Lost More Than 2,300 Employees Due To DOGE Layoffs And Buyouts. According to State Affairs, “No federal agency in Georgia has felt the sting of firings more than the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has lost at least 2,300 employees since layoffs and buyouts began last month, according to a list provided by former workers.” [State Affairs, 5/2/25]