President Trump says the Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin could “set the table” for trilateral talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He denied the meeting rewarded Putin, as critics warned it could undermine US efforts to isolate Russia.
United States President Donald Trump has marked the 90th anniversary of Social Security with a defence of his administration’s policies toward the programme — and attacks on his Democratic rivals.
On Thursday, Trump signed a presidential proclamation in the Oval Office, wherein he acknowledged the “monumental” importance of the social safety-net programme.
“I recommit to always defending Social Security,” the proclamation reads.
“To this day, Social Security is rooted in a simple promise: those who gave their careers to building our Nation will always have the support, stability, and relief they deserve.”
But Trump’s second term as president has been dogged by accusations that he has undermined programmes like Social Security in the pursuit of other agenda items, including his restructuring of the federal government.
Social Security in the US draws on payroll taxes to fund monthly payments to the elderly, the spouses of deceased workers, and the disabled. For many recipients, the payouts are a primary source of income during retirement.
The programme is considered widely popular: In 2024, the Pew Research Center found that 79 percent of Americans believe Social Security should not be cut in any way.
Additionally, four out of 10 people surveyed sided with the view that Social Security should be expanded to include more people and more benefits.
But the programme faces significant hurdles to its long-term feasibility.
Last year, the Social Security Administration (SSA) published a report that found the costs for old-age, disability and survivors’ insurance outstripped the programmes’ income.
It noted that the trust funds fuelling those programmes “are projected to become depleted during 2033” if measures are not taken to reverse the trend.
At Thursday’s Oval Office appearance, Trump sought to soothe those concerns, while taking a swipe at the Democratic Party.
“ You keep hearing stories that in six years, seven years, Social Security will be gone,” Trump said.
“And it will be if the Democrats ever get involved because they don’t know what they’re doing. But it’s going to be around a long time with us.”
He added that Social Security was “going to be destroyed” under his Democratic predecessor, former President Joe Biden, a frequent target for his attacks.
But Trump himself has faced criticism for weakening Social Security since returning to the White House for a second term in January.
Early on, Trump and his then-adviser Elon Musk laid out plans to slash the federal workforce and reduce spending, including by targeting the Social Security Administration (SSA).
In February, the Social Security Administration said it would “reduce the size of its bloated workforce and organizational structure”, echoing Trump and Musk’s rhetoric.
The projected layoffs and incentives for early retirement were designed to cut Social Security’s staff from 57,000 to 50,000, a 12.3-percent decrease.
Under Trump, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has also announced plans to pare back Social Security’s phone services, though it has since backtracked in the face of public outcry.
In addition, Musk and Trump have attacked Social Security’s reputation, with the former adviser telling podcast host Joe Rogan, “Social Security is the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.”
The two men even claimed Social Security is paying benefits to millions of long-dead individuals, though critics point out that those claims do not appear to be true.
The COBOL programming system used by the Social Security Administration marks incomplete entries with birthdates set 150 years back, according to the news magazine Wired. Those entries, however, generally do not receive benefits.
The Office of the Inspector General overseeing the Social Security Administration has repeatedly looked into these older entries. It confirmed that these entries are not active.
“We acknowledge that almost none of the numberholders discussed in the report currently receive SSA payments,” a report from 2023 said.
It also indicated that the Social Security Administration would have to pay between $5.5m and $9.7m to update its programming, though the changes would yield “limited benefits” in the fight against fraud.
Still, Trump doubled down on the claim that dead people were receiving benefits on Thursday.
“We had 12.4 million names where they were over 120 years old,” Trump said. “There were nearly 135,000 people listed who were over 160 years old and, in some cases, getting payments. So somebody’s getting those payments.”
Critics have also questioned whether Trump’s push to cut taxes will have long-term effects that erode Social Security.
In July, Trump’s signature piece of legislation, the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), cemented his 2017 tax cuts. It also increased the tax deductions for earners who rely on tips or Social Security benefits.
But groups like the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a bipartisan think tank, estimate that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will shorten the timeline for Social Security’s insolvency.
“The law dictates that when the trust funds deplete their reserves, payments are limited to incoming revenues,” the committee said in late July.
“For the Social Security retirement program, we estimate that means a 24 percent benefit cut in late 2032, after the enactment of OBBBA.”
Still, Trump has repeatedly promised to defend Social Security from any benefit cuts. He reiterated that pledge in Thursday’s appearance.
“American seniors, every single day, we’re going to fight for them. We’re going to make them richer, better, stronger in so many different ways,” Trump said.
“But Social Security is pretty much the one that we think about, and we love it, and we love what’s happening with it, and it’s going to be good for 90 years and beyond.”
The Hundred men’s competition, Lord’s
London Spirit 162-5 (100 balls): Smith 52 (34); Stoinis 2-27
Trent Rockets 141-6 (100 balls): Banton 46 (31); Worrall 2-32
Spirit won by 21 runs
England batter Jamie Smith’s half-century set up a comfortable 21-run win for London Spirit at Lord’s, inflicting a first defeat on Trent Rockets in The Hundred.
Smith was promoted to open, a role he fulfils for England’s white-ball sides, and struck 52 from 34 balls as Spirit posted a challenging 162-5.
The visitors made a bright start in reply as Tom Banton and Joe Root added 73 for the first wicket, but they fell away after the former’s departure and crawled to 141-6.
Rockets were ultimately punished for a sloppy fielding effort. Smith was put down on 23 and 26, while Kane Williamson was also dropped twice in making 45 as the pair added 73 for the second wicket.
Smith clubbed four sixes and two fours while Williamson showed his sublime touch and class in a 32-ball knock that followed Australian David Warner’s departure for six.
Warner’s compatriot Ashton Turner provided a late cameo of 30 from16 balls, while Ollie Pope made 17 from nine, to complete a much-improved batting effort after Spirit’s previous performance on home turf saw them bowled out for just 80.
Banton led the charge in his opening stand with Root but the course of the game changed when he played on to his stumps off Jamie Overton, who struggled through his 20 balls with an injury that could be a cause for concern for Spirit.
Banton’s departure sparked a collapse of four wickets for 17 runs, including Root for 27 and Rehan Ahmed for a duck, and their task became even more difficult when Tom Alsop was struck by an Overton bouncer that burst through his helmet and he had to retire hurt.
Smith’s promotion meant Spirit were using their third different opening combination in four games but they seem to have finally found the right fit.
The wicketkeeper was aggressive from the outset, whacking two sixes in his first five balls off Rockets skipper David Willey and found the perfect companion in Williamson, who seemed much more comfortable at number three after Warner was caught at cover off Lockie Ferguson.
Williamson had opened twice previously and made unconvincing scores of 14 and 19 but was back to his best, delighting the Lord’s crowd with his trademark deft touches behind the keeper and exquisite cover drives.
Rockets’ bowlers were guilty of offering too much width for him to play those shots but they were also let down in the field. Adam Hose spilled Smith on 23, Ferguson misjudged a chance at long-on when he had 26 before he almost got redemption, only for Alsop to put one down behind the stumps with Williamson on 22.
Hose’s nightmare evening continued as he could not hold on to another at deep cover with Williamson on 38.
The pair ensured they punished Rockets to set a solid platform, and Turner and Pope added a rapid 46 in just 20 balls to take the game beyond the visitors.
Northern Superchargers’ women will be looking to keep the pressure on the top two as they take on Birmingham Phoenix at 15:00 BST.
The men’s game follows at 18:30 BST with Phoenix hoping to gather momentum after they beat leaders Oval Invincibles in their most recent game on Tuesday.
Moses Itauma v Dillian Whyte
Venue: ANB Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Date: Saturday, 16 August
Moses Itauma accused Dillian Whyte of “playing a sheep to catch the wolf” as he questioned his opponent’s respectful approach before Saturday’s heavyweight fight in Saudi Arabia.
At a cordial news conference in Riyadh, the Britons exchanged pleasantries, thumbs-ups and handshakes.
Veteran Whyte described the unbeaten Itauma, 20, as the future of heavyweight boxing and has been complimentary throughout fight week.
Speaking to BBC Sport on Monday, the 37-year-old said there was no weakness in his younger opponent’s game.
“We’re all heavyweights – any fight can end at any point. I’m not delusional,” said Itauma.
“I know what threat Dillian Whyte poses, I’m not overlooking him, I’m taking him seriously.”
Jamaica-born Londoner Whyte brings a wealth of experience, having won 31 of his 34 professional fights.
He has shared the ring with some of the division’s biggest names, including Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, and holds notable wins over Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker.
“I’ve had a few main events and a few pay-per-views, but there is so much more left for me to achieve in the game,” added Whyte.
His career has stalled in recent years, though.
A stoppage win over Ebenezer Tetteh last December was unconvincing, but Whyte appears to be in his best physical shape for some time.
“I’m someone who is not supposed to be here,” added the ‘Body Snatcher’.
“Never had a great amateur career, no support. A kid from Jamaica who has been written off many times, not meant to survive, meant to be dead before I was in my 20s. But here I am doing stuff, so what more can I say?”
Chatham’s Itauma is a powerful and agile southpaw, once tipped as the man who could break Mike Tyson’s record as the youngest heavyweight champion.
Although that timeline has passed, excitement around the Slovakia-born fighter remains high.
Itauma has already stopped 10 of his 12 professional opponents and boasts a perfect 24-0 amateur record.
Briton Nick Ball (22-0-1, 13 KOs) will defend his WBA featherweight title against Australia’s Sam Goodman (20-0, 8 KOs) as the main support on Saturday’s card.
The 28-year-old makes the third defence of the title he won against Raymond Ford in June 2024, having most recently stopped TJ Doheny in March.
Kirkby-born Ball, who remains the only reigning male world champion from Britain, said: “It’s good pressure.”
Goodman, 26, was previously set to face Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue, the undisputed super-bantamweight king, before injury dashed his hopes.
“I’ve got many avenues for victory and I’ll exploit whatever one presents itself on fight night,” he said.
British heavyweight David Adeleye, 28, will also face Croatian Filip Hrgovic on the card.
Tensions flared as Hrgovic, 33, playfully performed a rendition of Tiesto’s “The Business” – much to Adeleye’s annoyance – singing: “I had a million nights just like this. So let’s get down, let’s get down to business.”