Frank Bisignano, the man Donald Trump picked to be the commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), told staff at the agency this week that he had to research the job on Google because he had no idea what it is about, ABC News reported.
In a town hall with Social Security managers from around the country on Wednesday, Bisignano, a former Wall Street executive and Trump donor, explained how he got the job despite having zero experience.
“So, I get a phone call and it’s about Social Security. And I’m really, I’m really not, I swear I’m not looking for a job,” he said, according to an audio recording of the meeting obtained by ABC. “And I’m like, ‘Well, what am I going to do?’ So, I’m Googling Social Security. You know, one of my great skills, I’m one of the great Googlers on the East Coast.”
“I’m like, ‘What the heck’s the commissioner of Social Security?'” added Bisignano, who was confirmed by senate Republicans on a 53-47 party line vote to be the new commissioner of Social Security.
In his new role, Bisignano is responsible for overseeing one of the largest federal agencies that distributes retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to more than 70 million Americans.
Bisignano’s inexperience could prove to be detrimental at a time of widespread restructuring and mass layoffs at the agency due to the Elon Musk led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
On the call this week Bisignano, who once referred to himself as a “DOGE person” defended the work of the task force. He told managers that they needed to believe that DOGE was “helping to make things better” even if “it may not feel that way.”
