President Donald Trump was criticized on Friday after claiming illegal migrants are accessing U.S. Social Security benefits despite this requiring a Social Security number, which non-legal immigrants shouldn’t be able to possess.

Speaking during a White House press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Trump said: “We have people that shouldn’t be on it, those people we have to weed out. Most of them, or may of them so far, have been illegal immigrants. They shouldn’t even be in the country.”

Newsweek contacted the White House press office for comment on Saturday via email outside of regular office hours.

Why It Matters

Trump made cracking down on illegal immigration one of his main campaign platforms ahead of the 2024 presidential election, and almost immediately after his inauguration on January 20 declared a national emergency at the U.S. border in response.

The new president also ordered the deployment of troops to help secure the U.S.-Mexican border and gave the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency additional powers to pursue illegal migrants.

A New York Times/Ipsos poll, carried out from January 2 to 10, found 55 percent of voters strongly or somewhat supported Trump’s illegal migrant deportation plans. Large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans agreed that the immigration system is broken.

What To Know

According to the official Social Security Administration website, “you need an SSN [Social Security number] to work, collect Social Security benefits, and receive certain government services.”

The administration add that “lawfully present noncitizens of the United States who meet all eligibility requirements can qualify for Social Security benefits,” explicitly ruling out illegal migrants.

Trump also used the press conference to insist Social Security would be protected from Elon Musk‘s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), commenting: “Social Security will not be touched, it will only be strengthened.”

On Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration plans to eliminate taxes on Social Security for seniors, a move she said would be the “largest tax cut in history.”

What People Are Saying

Tristian Snell, a lawyer and commentator who was previously involved in legal action against the now defunct Trump University, noted that illegal migrants can’t receive Social Security numbers on X.

He wrote: “BREAKING—Trump says he’s kicking undocumented immigrants out of Social Security. One small problem, though—undocumented immigrants are ALREADY ineligible for Social Security benefits. You know, because they don’t have Social Security numbers. Because they’re undocumented.”

Snell’s post went viral on the platform, receiving over 17,000 reposts and getting 3.9 million views.

Another X user posted a meme of a confused man tapping his own head, adding: “Wait, doesn’t one have to have a Social Security number to collect SOCIAL SECURITY? So how then are illegal immigrants supposedly collecting it?”

What Happens Next

The White House will face pressure to explain how it can cut Social Security payments for illegal migrants if these require Social Security numbers, which those in the United States illegally shouldn’t have.

More broadly it remains to be seen whether Trump’s desire to protect Social Security will come into conflict with Musk’s stated goal of cutting federal government spending by up to $2 trillion per year.