Tempers flared on Wednesday as Fox News host Martha MacCallum and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) clashed over the topic of government funding cuts and claims of waste in Social Security.
The heated exchange began when MacCallum repeated accusations from tech billionaire Elon Musk, who claimed that Social Security was full of “waste, fraud, and abuse.” These claims, including the allegation that millions of dead people had been receiving Social Security checks, had already been debunked by The Washington Post.
Coons pushed back, stating that if the Trump administration was genuinely concerned about stopping waste, fraud, and abuse, they wouldn’t have fired the inspector general at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), who had raised concerns about waste. The inspector general was dismissed after filing complaints about how the administration had shut down the agency without warning.
As Coons tried to explain, MacCallum attempted to speak over him, but the senator refused to back down.
“I’m amazed. So, you’re saying that I’m assuming there’s waste, fraud, and abuse?” MacCallum asked.
“In Social Security,” Coons replied.
MacCallum quickly retorted, “And I think it’s equally surprising that you’re assuming the government is functioning efficiently when we all know—”
“That’s not what I said,” Coons interrupted, speaking over her. “There are inspectors general in every agency to find—”
MacCallum rolled her eyes and sarcastically responded, “Oh, I know. They’ve done a fantastic, bang-up job.”
Coons then pressed the point that firing inspectors general at the start of an administration shows a lack of commitment to addressing waste.
“To start the administration by firing all of them does not suggest a deep interest in stopping waste,” he said.
MacCallum grew more frustrated, accusing Coons of ignoring the facts. “You’re putting your fingers in your ears and singing ‘blah, blah, blah. It’s not happening,'” she said.
Coons tried again to make his point. “Let me repeat the point,” he said, speaking over her once more. “If Elon Musk says Social Security is a Ponzi scheme and this president has fired the relevant inspectors general—who are the people most capable of finding waste—not a bunch of 20-year-old software engineers with no previous government experience.”
MacCallum raised her voice, repeatedly asking, “Did you watch this interview, Senator? Did you watch the interview?”
With tensions rising, Coons, smiling, responded, “You’re yelling so much.”
“No, because I can’t get a word in edgewise,” MacCallum complained.
She then shifted the topic to a panel of Trump-supporting business leaders, asking Coons about their success in running businesses efficiently. Coons disputed that Musk had run his businesses effectively, pointing to how Twitter had been mismanaged under his leadership.
MacCallum once again mischaracterized Coons, suggesting he didn’t think the government was run efficiently. Coons took the opportunity to correct her once again, continuing to press his point.
The tense exchange was marked by constant interruptions and a growing sense of frustration, making it clear that the debate was far from settled.
Watch the clip from Fox News below:
