Robert Wittman

Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., ducked questions about the possibility of House Speaker Mike Johnson making cuts to Social Security by appearing to fake a minute-long phone call outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, June 9.

After he was approached by a reporter for the liberal outlet MeidasTouch and asked about “Mike Johnson’s secret plan to cut Social Security,” Wittman, 67, put his phone to his head and appeared to have a one-sided conversation as the device remained lit up and cycled through apps while he pressed it against his face. During the encounter, the visible phone screen never showed sign that a call was in progress.

“Hey, how you doing? I'm good. I'm good with that. Yeah, I'll be there in just a few minutes,” Wittman said into his phone as soon as the question was asked.

“No response, sir?” the reporter asked.

“Yeah, it's over at 416?” Wittman continued into his phone, which had a white screen. “I appreciate that. I’ve got some more efforts that I want to talk to you about. There are actually more things that we have to be working on.”

The apparent charade lasted more than a minute before Wittman removed the phone from his face and hustled ahead of the reporter, ignoring questions the whole time.

Wittman’s office did not address questions from PEOPLE about whether the phone call was real or who he may have been speaking to, but did share a statement from the congressman about his position on Social Security, which read, "My colleagues and I are working to strengthen the integrity of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid by improving eligibility verification, data matching, and real-time income checks to prevent improper payments before they occur."

"This approach will safeguard taxpayer dollars, protect Social Security and Medicare for those who have paid into it throughout their working lives, and sustain Medicaid for vulnerable populations," his statement claimed. "We have to ensure resources are targeted to individuals who are truly eligible to keep these programs working for generations to come."

In a Monday, June 8, appearance on local Louisiana radio, Johnson said Republicans in Congress need to address “the largest spending items” in the federal budget, including “Medicare, Medicaid and then things like Social Security.”

“They have to be adjusted and fixed,” the Louisiana Republican said on The Moon Griffon Show. “We have a plan to do that next year. And it’s critical.”

After Democrats slammed Johnson for floating cuts to Social Security, the Republican House speaker accused them of fearmongering in a post on X.

He claimed his comments on the radio show were in reference to Republican efforts to root out fraud and waste in the programs, not floating cuts to benefits for current and future retirees.

The Social Security Administration released a report on Tuesday that projected that Social Security may run out of funds by 2032 if left unaddressed.

“Everyone knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is rampant waste, fraud, and abuse throughout government programs,” Johnson, 54, wrote, adding that Republicans will continue to pursue policies that address fraud “in this Congress and in future Congresses so that these important programs can be preserved for the American citizens that need them.”

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While some Republicans have called for cuts to Social Security benefits or privatizing the fund as solutions to the funding dilemma, the program’s popularity has made such calls a political risk — particularly in a midterm election year like 2026 as Republicans seek to hold onto their slim majority in the House and the Senate.

It’s the most popular federal program by far, with one recent poll from the Bipartisan Policy Center finding 93% of Americans “think Social Security is valuable to American society” and 80% “are concerned about the financial impact of Social Security’s trust fund being depleted, leading to a cut in benefits.”

As Wittman avoided answering questions on the issue on Tuesday, he told his phone that he wanted to seek solutions around some area of policy.

“If you can actually reach out, I'll make sure that we do more of this,” Wittman said into his phone. “Yes, believe me, I understand. There's more of those things that we need to work on.”