In the wake of passage of Trump’s reverse Robin Hood bill, the Social Security Administration sent out an email to most recipients. Here is the text of that email:
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is celebrating the passage of the One Big, Beautiful Bill, a landmark piece of legislation that delivers long‑awaited tax relief to millions of older Americans.
The bill ensures that nearly 90% of Social Security beneficiaries will no longer pay federal income taxes on their benefits, providing meaningful and immediate relief to seniors who have spent a lifetime contributing to our nation’s economy.
The new law includes a provision that eliminates federal income taxes on Social Security benefits for most beneficiaries, providing relief to individuals and couples. Additionally, it provides an enhanced deduction for taxpayers aged 65 and older, ensuring that retirees can keep more of what they have earned.
Social Security remains committed to providing timely, accurate information to the public and will continue working closely with federal partners to ensure beneficiaries understand how this legislation may affect them.
“This is a historic step forward for America’s seniors,’ said Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano. ‘… By significantly reducing the tax burden on benefits, this legislation reaffirms President Trump’s promise to protect Social Security and helps ensure that seniors can better enjoy the retirement they’ve earned.”
I may throw up.
In this blog, I frequently complain about propaganda, assuming that most readers know what propaganda is–misinformation and outright lies intended to sell a bill of goods to people who wouldn’t buy what was being sold if they knew the truth. This email is a perfect example; it should be Exhibit A in classes devoted to the subject.
Allow me to list the lies and intentional misdirections in this example of autocratic BS.
There was no full repeal of Social Security taxes. The law does not eliminate federal income taxes on Social Security benefits. Instead, it introduces a temporary increase in the standard deduction—up to: $6,000 for individuals aged 65+, and $12,000 for married couples filing jointly. Furthermore, the deduction begins phasing out at incomes above $75,000 for singles and $150,000 for couples, and it vanishes entirely at higher income levels.
What’s more, the measure isn’t targeted solely at Social Security benefits; it applies to all taxable income–and it’s temporary,
expiring around 2028. And lest you still somehow think it’s a big deal, or at least a modest help to low-income folks, permit me to introduce you to reality: most low- and middle-income seniors already pay zero federal tax on their benefits.
As one CPA of my acquaintance put it, the claim that the bill eliminates taxes on Social Security benefits for most recipients is simply false. In reality, it merely increases the general standard deduction for seniors for a limited time, indirectly reducing taxes for some of them. It does not repeal or reduce Social Security taxation.
Sometimes, the English language is insufficient to convey the bizarre reality of a situation. In this case, only Yiddish can adequately communicate the sheer shamelessness on display. That word is chutzpah. Chutzpah is nerve or gall on steroids. (An often-used example is a person who kills his mother and father and then throws himself on the mercy of the court because he’s an orphan.)
America has a mentally-ill gangster in the White House. He is aided and abetted by craven Congressional Republicans, and they have colluded to pass legislation that will–literally–kill lots of old people by throwing them off Medicaid (among many other terrible things). They know that most Americans–including their own voters– will hate this bill once they actually know what’s in it, so they are trying to pre-empt the spread of accurate information by using our tax dollars to disseminate propaganda–here, by sending out an email that will confuse and mislead the elderly Americans who rely on Social Security.
Talk about chutzpah! We knew they lacked any integrity; now we know that these despicable people have no capacity for shame.
“Furthermore, the deduction begins phasing out at incomes above $75,000 for singles and $150,000 for couples, and it vanishes entirely at higher income levels.”
Oh good Lord – you’re never happy! It doesn’t help the “rich” which should make you happy! If the auto pen signed this you would love it! Propaganda and hypocrisy
are on this blog daily- talk about GAG !
All the gimmicks in the OBBB played out by Republicans are over the top. The tax reduction to the Country Club set is immediate, while everything else has staggered start dates. Some of the welfare changes don’t go into effect until after the mid-terms or in 2028. It’s really one big turd of a lying bill.
I get numerous government newsletters on consumer prices and other statistics. I cancelled them all once I received the first one under Trump’s regime. They’ve changed them, and not a single thing sent out by this group is believable—none of it.
These dummies don’t even know that Whitney Webb wrote a very detailed book about blackmail in the US, and Epstein’s case took up a significant chunk. Bondi and Trump’s lies about Epstein only raise more red flags and bring about more questions. It all centers on the fact that Epstein, Maxwell, and her dad were all working for Mossad, gathering intel and bribery material on the world’s elite. Bondi claims Epstein downloaded porn on those videos, but the tapes were recordings of Epstein’s guests with underage girls. Every bedroom in his palatial estates and his airplane had hidden videos.
The best part about the lies is that they’re negatively impacting MAGA loyalists, who are coming unglued over the Epstein Case. The news media wants you to think Epstein is a giant conspiracy pushed by right-wing mouthpieces, but that’s a lie or propaganda.
The feeding frenzy is on as they begin to eat their own. Bondi’s head is now demanded on a platter…
And with Trump’s evident mental decline, the scapegoating will begin as well.
Can’t wait to see the rate increase in SS payment this coming year. Or will there be one at all? Maybe this BBB increase in deductions will be all there is. Meanwhile, when will we take a look at the horrid state taxes? Now that the states will have to carry the burden of disaster relief once FEMA is eliminated by the end of the year, does anyone really think that those state taxes will not be increased?
Are we “great again” yet?????
Shame???? You expect these jackasses to have shame? Actually, no, I do not believe you expect that of them. They have shown, like their “Dear Leader,” that they have no bottom, except ,maybe, an astronomical black hole. So, any shame that is dumb enough to even try to show its face falls right through. Snark.
Propaganda- Back in the day, those days, those awful days, propaganda was not seen as a dirty word- Herman Goering was the Minister of Propaganda in his “Dear Leader’s” administration. Proud and out, he was! Even proud that he/they had taken the idea from American advertising, of the day.
So, we have something like Orwellian “New Speak” and Goering’s playfulness with language, which helped Hitler’s boys operationalize gleicshchaltung-
Gleicshchaltung: the bringing of EVERY aspect of German life under the auspices of the Nazis.
Wanting to be clear about the parallels between Trumpism and Hitlerism in their impact on society, and science in particular, I want to point out the idiocy of what was called Aryan science. In the Gleicshchaltung: the bringing of EVERY aspect of German life under the auspices of the Nazis, all of the phenomenal scientific advances of the 1920s, until Hitler became Chancellor in ’33, from quantum theory to relativity were spat upon as the results of “Jewish science,” in Hitler’s Germany.
Today, we are seeing the dismantling of medical and climate science, as the Trumpists are just soooo threatened by anything that does not accord with the moron-in-chief’s agenda, anything that his sycophants can call “woke.” And, we are seeing a revival, or coming out, of Anti-Semitism due to Trump ’s not quite quiet encouragement.
And, at a mere 6 months and counting, he’s only just begun.
Sorry for the rant…no, I’m not
Aside from the short duration, I wonder how many hopeful tax payers think this new $6,000 deduction is a $6,000 credit?
I pay an accountant, because I am pretty useless at doing taxes.
What am I missing? What is the gain worth? Just the wording?
it looks like it is a gift. What’s the real goal?
being able to give huge breaks to the richest & corporations?
And making us think that we are part of those getting something. what is closer to the actual number of seniors who pay zero tax on S.S?
I don’t hate rich people, in fact, some of my best friends are rich!😁
I don’t think anyone who is in this little choir hates rich people. We would like see them pay a fair share of taxes. In the “good old days”, with a graduated tax, the top rate was over 90%. If those who want to go back to those days thought about that, they might just decide it’s not a great idea.
It’s so strange that many women are among those who want to go back. Going back means a radical change for women. Who wants to find it nearly impossible to get credit in your own name, or to have their husband’s approval to have surgeries, or, not have access to birth control? Who wants to live in a world where your job options are limited to teacher, nurse, secretarial work, or housewife.
Speaking of the bill, I am writing a lot of material on it. The only name I use is “PL 119-45.” I do not use a politically charged moniker. Maybe saying very little can say a lot.
I had much the same reaction. It clearly was nothing but propaganda, and I didn’t know whether to scream or throw up. And I couldn’t write my congressman because it’s Spartz, or my Senators, because they are all part of the problem.
I got the email and about gagged. A $6000 deduction, if you have enough income to pay taxes is worth about 17% of that or about $1000 in a lowered tax bill.
Becky, the hypocrisy comes in the fact this “bonus” only lasts through the next midterm election, that is if most people even notice the bribe.
Aman to what you wrote! You hit the nail squarely on the head! Rule #1 with Trump & company do not trust anything they say or do. Only those of us who do serious fact checking will dig up their deception. It is up to those of us who know the deception to speak out. Speaking truth to lies is our patriotic duty. Even if others will complain for the love of our country & constitution we must speak out.