It’s no secret that the Trump administration is itching to privatize, cut or get rid of Social Security benefits altogether. But they know how popular the program is, so they try to cast themselves as Social Security saviors.

Of course, Fox Business Network is all in on the con.

From a September 18 Fox Business article titled, “Trump admin signals Congress will need to consider all options as insolvency looms in 2034”:

Facing warnings that Social Security could become insolvent by 2034, administration officials say the program’s future depends on reforms from Congress, with all policy options expected to be debated.

"I think everything’s being considered, will be considered," Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank Bisignano said on "Mornings with Maria" Thursday. He was responding to host Maria Bartiromo asking whether he "would consider raising the retirement age."

Fox reported that Bisignano later issued a statement saying, “Let me be clear: President Trump and I will always protect Social Security.” He also “clarified” that raising the retirement age “is not under consideration at this time.”

But clearly some benefit cuts are in the offing: “The generations that are coming in will probably have a different set of rules than we had,” Bisignano told Bartiromo. He’s probably talking about some kind of privatization.

If Trump really cared about protecting Social Security, he wouldn’t have sabotaged it by accelerating its insolvency in his Billionaires’ Budget Bill. As for Bisignano, he celebrated the bill. He misleadingly called it a “historic step forward for America’s seniors” and proof that Trump is keeping his “promise to protect Social Security.”

Getting the wealthy to contribute more to Social Security would significantly improve Social Security’s revenues, possibly up to 90%. But don’t expect to see any request that billionaires chip in more as part of “everything” being considered.

Instead, Trump and his lickspittles will do their darnedest to make life harder for the rest of us, work to enrich themselves further with privatization, then claim they’re saving our benefits by cutting them.