OBJECTIVITY RULES: The third rail
An outcry led to Team Trump partially backtracking on new social security rules
OBJECTIVITY RULES: MARCH 27, 2025
Note: Apologies for this being a day late.My vertigo got the best of me on Friday.
Touching the third rail
I have a friend who waited hours to reach a live person using the 800 Social Security Administration phone number. I have another disabled friend worried that the federal government would force him to go to a local office instead of getting the help he needs.
They weren’t the only ones worried.
Last week SSA announced a plan to require in-person identity checks for millions of new and existing recipients while simultaneously closing 47 field offices in 18 states. The new requirements would have impacted anyone who needed to verify their bank information, as well as families with children who receive Social Security benefits and cannot verify certain information online.
That led to a howl of protest from social security recipients and lawmakers of both parties, who decried any effort to make getting benefits harder. The SSA then reversed itself and said anyone with a disability who needs help by phone can get it. All others will have to verify their personal information online or in person.
But there’s still a problem
As noted above, SSA plans to close 47 offices in 18 states. SSA acknowledges it faces a customer service crisis. Cutting staff means it’ll take much longer to get someone on the phone or an appointment at a local field office. SSA says it expects up to an additional 85,000 people a week to show up at local offices to file for benefits. That’s a massive number of people stressing an already overworked system.
The Trump administration says it won’t do anything to impact Social Security, but as we can see, that’s not true. The changes in customer service will most likely impact the poor who depend on their social security checks. If anyone has an issue that impacts the timely delivery of funds —- closing a hacked checking account, for example —- it has a direct effect on the ability to pay bills and buy food. So while it’s true that there are no cuts to benefits, it’s also true that these changes will prove calamitous for some people.
Just wait for the stories of poor, elderly women who can’t afford groceries because of a social security glitch brought on by federal government cuts. That will not play well and test Trump’s persona as the …
Teflon Don
Can anything stick to Donald Trump? He’s so adept at changing the conversation, that calling Mexican immigrants rapists, January 6 rioters patriots and continuing to spread false election fraud theories has no impact with his base of voters (and others who hold disdain for the left).
What gives? Simple. Trump and his team are masters at deflection.
Take the recent Signal controversy, in which high-ranking government officials shared attack plans over an unsecured app and copied in a journalist. If Joe Biden were in office, the GOP would demand its pound of flesh, likely in the form of someone being fired or resigning. They would call the use of Signal an inexcusable breach of protocol that puts Americans’ lives at risk since the app discussion included details of a strike against the Houthis in Yemen.
They would be right.
Now? Instead of asking how widespread the use of Signal is in the government, whether there are other examples of such use, and how a journalist despised by the administration ended up on an email chain of this magnitude, the White House and its cabinet have deflected (expertly, mind you).
They’re attacking the journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, who was on the text chain and published it. Trump called him a “total sleazebag” working for a failing magazine. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called him an anti-Trump hater. National Security Advisor Michael Waltz called Goldberg a “loser.”
Denigrating Goldbeg riles up a base that likes the press as much as it likes an oozing boil. But it doesn’t answer any of the serious security questions arising from the use of this app.
The Signal stories won’t go away, no matter how much Team Trump tries. But we see the well-used playbook. When an unflattering story comes out, attack and defect. It’s worked so far.
ODDS AND ENDS
Some people have taken out their Elon Musk frustrations by vandalizing Tesla cars and dealerships. Republicans have condemned the actions, and Democrats should join them. Any act of violence should be condemned … The White House has increased deportations by targeting green card and visa holders who express opinions contrary to the administration's policy. For example, the WH has gone after people who express support for Palestinians under the guise that it means they support Hamas. Sadly, people in the country on temporary status can have that status removed for any reason and be sent back home, including saying things the administration doesn’t like… Canada has decided the United States isn’t a reliable trade partner and will seek to strengthen relationships with other countries. Trump isn’t used to people standing up to him, and when they do, he often seeks to make a “deal” (or backtrack) …
CREDIBLE NEWS OUTLETS
An Objectivity Rules reader asked what I consider the most credible sources of news today. I could provide a list, but that would be my preference with all my biases. There’s a better source.
A YouGov survey asked what news organizations Americans trust, and the results parallel my views.
The BBC, PBS, and the Wall Street Journal were the most trusted for news; Breitbart, Al Jazeera, and Fox News were among the least trusted. I didn’t include sites like Comedy Central and the Weather Channel, which were listed as news options but aren’t.
I like BBC, both the international and US versions, and it’s the outlet I listen to most. I like its headline brevity, which quickly gets to the point, but also appreciate its longer-form interviews.
I’m surprised Axios, the Hill, and NPR weren’t ranked higher, or agenda-driven outlets like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, or New York Post lower.
EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND LITIGATION
Every week, I’ll include these links. This one tracks all of the Trump administration's executive orders. A number of these orders have been challenged in court, and y9u can track that on this litigation tracker.
MY OTHER WRITING
Last Sunday, I wrote about Mimi Jones, a single mother who is more the face of poverty than the president’s billionaire friends. She told me:
“It’s impossible to thrive or get ahead, with the pay that we get versus how much stuff costs, the taxes that come out, and living expenses. It’s so tough to find a decent apartment that now costs more than a mortgage did 10 years ago.”
This Sunday, I’m writing about the difficulties municipalities have in convincing citizens to increase taxes via levies. It’s a tough problem. In early April, The Bourbon Resource will rank the best Lux Co. bourbons ….
Until next time …..
Ray Marcano has more than 40 years of experience as a reporter, editor, executive, and leader. He’s worked for some of the country’s biggest brands, including CNN, ESPN’s Andcape, and USAToday. His award-winning column appears each Sunday in the Dayton (OH) Daily News, and he’s a frequent contributor to the Columbus (OH) Dispatch. He’s the former national president of the Society of Professional Journalists, a two-time Pulitzer juror, and a Fulbright Fellow. He also writes the free, monthly Bourbon Resource with the latest bourbon news and reviews.
Failing levies are so frustrating, the cost per family is so low compared to the benefits for the community.