Oh Boy It Never Ends: The waste and disappointment of Robert Redford's superficial career

At the age of 89, Robert Redford has passed away. Early in his career, the actor-producer-director had onscreen magnetism but that wasn't enough for him. He was going to make serious movies.

If only.

He defeated himself before he started.

If you're new to Redford, the three films you have to see are BAREFOOT IN THE PARK -- Jane Fonda and Redford are newlweds in this sxities film -- the first hit he ever had. THE WAY WE WERE teams him with Barbra Streisand for this romantic drama that was a huge hit. 3 DAYS OF THE CONDOR is the third film to see, it's a thriller and Faye Dunaway is his co-star.

The rest?

A few are okay -- ELECTRIC COWBOY is a nice popcorn movie that reteams him with Jane Fonda and in 1979 that was enough to make this a hit. And then come the many disappointments and the outright losers.

Natalie Wood got him a role early in her career playing opposite her in INSIDE DAISY CLOVER. A year later, while he was still not a star, she not only got him another role as her costar but she hired his friend Sydney Pollack to direct at Rober's insistence.

Natalie Wood was one of the biggest stars in the sixties. And while she was happy to help, they never paid her back. Natalie would have two daughters and step back from films for a brief time to raise them. When she was ready to go back to work, she was no longer one of the hottest stars. She asked Redford for parts -- in 3 DAYS OF THE CONDOR, BRUBAKER and in ORDINARY PEOPLE. He refused to help her. Sydney directed 3 DAYS OF THE CONDOR and he refused to help Natalie.

They would not have film careers but they refused to help her when she needed them.

Pollack, of course, was later revealed to be working with Mossad. Redford was always working with his ego and his ego sadly always won.

BRUBAKER is a bad movie that could have been good. It's about prison abuse. We see Redford, a prisoner, being taken through the process. It's time for the prison haircut. But Redford didn't want his lovely locks touched. So his character bribes the barber not to cut his hair. No that would not have happened. (He's actually the new warden, by the way, undercover.) Vanity was also the reason for his lovely locks '70s do in THE WAY WE WERE when he was playing a college student and the member of the military in the 40s.

Vanity destroyed CRISIS IN THE HOT ZONE -- he was supposed to make that film with Jodie Foster but vanity over who was billed first -- Jodie had just won her second Academy Award for acting -- no one mistook Redford for a great actor -- and was coming off the mega hit THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS while he was coming off the bombs LEGAL EAGLES and HAVANA and the break-even SNEAKERS (fifty million in ticket sales domestically on the latter; SOTL made $130 million domestically). He also wanted his role beefed up and Jodie's role to be cut down. The film never got made which was the case with too many of his films. He demanded non-stop rewrites on THE WAY WE WERE and Arthur Laurents -- who came up with the idea, wrote the original screenplay and a few of the revisions -- noted that it was about stealing the film away from Barbra's character but that, in the end, no matter how many new scenes you wrote for him, the story was the story of Barbra's character Katie.

Jane Fonda will probably issue a statement -- and may have already. (She has.) first film was TALL STORY and he had a small role in it (Anthony Perkins played Jane's leading man), then they co-starred in BAREFOOT IN THE PARK and THE CHASE (both in the sixties), reteamed for 1979's ELECTRIC HORSEMAN and reteamed for the last time in 2017's OUR SOULS AT NIGHT (Fonda is excellent in that film and Redford resorts to his usual moves -- he always came off like a substandard actor trying to imitate Warren Beatty).

Michelle Pfeiffer made UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL with him. She might have a comment. She might take a pass. As John Gregory Dunne noted in his book on the film, Redford was constantly demanding his role be increased. The film would have done better had it focused on Michelle's character because she was the main character. Instead, we got Redford again trying to imitate Warren. And that's how you get to Harrison Ford by the way. Another weak actor who imitates Redford. Too many of their films are the same character set pieces over and over and it wears on you. Warren wasn't imitating anyone when he came up with his screen persona and he always made it fresh. His copycats did not and could not.

He pulled his crap with Brad Pitt on SPY GAME and it did not go well and that's the film where Redford learned his 'magic years' were over because the studio was not going to cater to his whims and they considered Brad the star of that movie. (Brad also did not get along with Harrison Ford and also because the studio considered Brad the star and didn't humor Harrison.)

Redford made a joke of himself in the last 25 years of his life. He had gone bald but wouldn't admit it. So he wore the most hideous rug on his head that you've ever seen. And what was worse? It was strawberry blonde. He was such a sassy grandma in his blonde wig -- especially once he hit 80.

Was he gay or bi? Rumors never stopped -- in fact, there are multiple YOUTUBE videos in the last few years insisting he and Paul Newman were lovers and the love of each other's life. (Paul was bi.)

Does it matter?

Yeah, it does. Remember Natalie Wood?

He begged her for the role in INSIDE DAISY CLOVER. He played a movie star who marries her character. It was in the sixties and one of the details that was going to give it a 'modern' feel? Wade, his character, is gay. After begging for the role and getting it, he then began demanding rewrites. He didn't want to play a gay character. Just like he didn't want his lovely locks cut.

Time and again, his dumb ass actions ensured that he gave generic performances and, especially after 1973 when he became a film star, he appeared in a lot of generic films.

Not one film he directed stands up as a film. Timothy Hutton and Mary Tyler Moore's performances in ORDINARY PEOPLE remain outstanding but the film is a TV movie and nothing more. As a director, he churned out a lot of garbage and the studios should have said no or at least said, "We get it, you grew up in the fifties. That was years ago, make a film with modern settings."

Going out with C.I.'s "The Snapshot:"

Tuesday, September 16, 2025. Pam Bimbo Bondi attacks the First Amendment, Chump journeys overseas to do more damage to the US economy and image, Democrats need to pay better attention and to fight better, and much more.

By the way, I support free speech and always have. So when Ben goes off, in the video above, about "would I personally," it's not helpful. It's weak, it's defensive and it helps the attack on free speech. And by the way, you can have a religious objection to racism. That's established in the US going back to the 1800s. Don't step away from free speech or issue qualifiers.

Charlie Nash (MEDIAITE) notes:

Conservative talkshow host Erick Erickson tore into “moron” Attorney General Pam Bondi on Monday after she claimed “hate speech” did not count as “free speech” and would be targeted by her office.

During an interview with former White House official Katie Miller, Bondi said, “There’s free speech and then there’s hate speech, and there is no place, especially now, especially after what happened to Charlie, in our society.”

She warned, “We will absolutely target you, go after you if you are targeting anyone with hate speech, anything, and that’s across the aisle.”

Erickson responded to Miller’s comments in a social media post, writing, “Our Attorney General is apparently a moron. ‘There’s free speech and then there is hate speech.’ No ma’am. That is not the law.”

Don't know who this right-wing Erick Erickson is but he's correct and I stand with him on that point. This is not Canada. We have not criminalized hate speech.

Bill Maher is a practitioner of hate speech. Ava and I have covered the media for 20 years now at THIRD. We have noted Bill several times. We have not siad the answer is for HBO to fire him. We have said that the answer is for HBO to bring in other shows with other hosts -- especially from communities that Bill marginalizes. I believe in free speech and I support free speech. In 2012, I was not among the idiots -- many who were on the left -- I think all of them were, in fact -- calling for a film to be boycotted -- I was not WORLD CAN'T WAIT's Debra calling for a film I hadn't seen to be censored. Some of us do believe in free speech. And, no, the way to fight for free speech is not to to do so weakly.

It's the First Amendment -- it's the most important amendment. And how sad that the right is willing to fight for the Second Amendment harder than the left is willing to fight for the First Amendment.

Chump will never get the Nobel Peace Prize but Donald Chump's already earned the title War Criminal. Chump has yet again attacked a Venezuelan boat. As with the previous attack, he's insisting the speedboat was carrying drugs. AP notes:

Trump said the strike was carried out Monday, nearly two weeks after another military strike on what the Trump administration says was a drug-carrying speedboat from Venezuela that killed 11.

The Trump administration justified the earlier strike as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.

But several senators, Democrats and some Republicans, have indicated their dissatisfaction with the administration’s rationale and questioned the legality of the action. They view it as a potential overreach of executive authority in part because the military was used for law enforcement purposes.

The elderly dunce has destroyed our image around the world. I find it hilarious that DEADLINE, VARIETY and THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER are coming up with every reason they can to explain the poor showing of SUPERMAN and THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS overseas. Of course they didn't do as well overseas as previous superhero films did. The film audiences overseas aren't willing to celebrate the US when the menace that is Donald Chump is in the White House.

How do you miss that? VARIETY, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER and DEADLINE, how do you miss that? US income for foreign travelers is down and has been down. People don't want to come in 2025. What changed? Chump. So, yes, US films are not going to do as well overseas as they did before Chump was sworn in for this second term.

Yoolim Lee (BLOOMBERG NEWS) notes:

US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on Sunday expressed regret over the recent detention of hundreds of South Korean workers in Georgia.

Landau, in Seoul for a Korea-US vice foreign ministerial meeting, said that the 316 South Koreans who returned home Friday on a chartered jet after being detained in Georgia will face no disadvantage when re-entering the US, according to South Korea’s foreign ministry.

Earlier this month, US immigration authorities carried out a sweeping raid on a Hyundai Motor Co.-LG Energy Solution Ltd. battery plant under construction in Georgia. Images of detained workers being lined up and restrained sparked public outcry in South Korea, as the workers had been dispatched to help get the plant up and running.

Regrets? You've had a few, have you? And Chump as well as he took to his social media to insist this was wrong -- this raid. But this raid was carried out by his gestapo. If they got it wrong, heads should be rolling.

Karishma Mehrotra (WASHINGTON POST) notes:

As diplomatic tensions between Washington and New Delhi spiked in recent months, a long-buried mistrust of the United States has surged back to life in the world’s most populous country.

For older Indians, the barrage of abrasive remarks from President Donald Trump and his allies has revived painful memories of past slights, analysts said; for younger generations, it has called into question a relationship many had come to take for granted. The harsh rhetoric from U.S. officials has dovetailed with escalating hate speech online targeting Indians and Indian Americans, according to researchers, hardening the divide.

In recent days, Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have signaled a possible reconciliation. The president said on Sept. 5 that the United States and India have a “special relationship” and that there is “nothing to worry about.” On Tuesday, he announced that stalled trade talks would resume; Modi expressed confidence on X that the negotiations would unlock “the limitless potential of the India-US partnership.”

But real damage has already been done, according to analysts and former officials.

This is how Chump interacts with the world and how he's seen. Other than despots, no one likes him.

Let's note Rachel Maddow from last night on MSNBC.

And, by the way, as Rachel noted in the program, next Monday her guest will be former Vice President Kamala Harris.

While Chump continues to threaten and harm allies, casualties continue to mount in Donald Chump's war on the economy. For example, Candice Featherhold (BUzz60) reports:

Kroger has thousands of supermarkets across the U.S. and is a daily stop for millions of families. With more than 2,700 stores in early 2025, it remains one of the country’s largest grocery operators. Its size makes any changes ripple far beyond individual locations.

WALKING WITH RECIPES notes:

Inflation impacts various sectors of the economy differently, with groceries often experiencing the most significant price hikes. As basic necessities, food items are subject to a complex web of factors that exacerbate inflationary pressures, making grocery shopping a growing challenge for consumers.

One of the primary reasons groceries are particularly susceptible to inflation is the intricate nature of their supply chain. As fuel prices climb, the expense of transporting goods from farms to grocery stores increases. This cost is inevitably transferred to consumers, making everyday items more expensive. For instance, the logistics involved in transporting fresh produce from California to the East Coast are heavily influenced by fluctuating fuel prices, meaning that any spike in oil prices can quickly ripple through the system.Logistical challenges further complicate the supply chain. Shortages of truck drivers, as experienced during the pandemic, and shipping delays contribute to increased costs and product scarcity. These disruptions can lead to empty shelves, forcing consumers to buy alternative, often more expensive brands. Additionally, the global nature of food supply chains introduces vulnerabilities. Many grocery items depend on international suppliers, and any changes in trade policies or global market fluctuations can cause significant price shifts.

The factors influencing grocery prices extend back to the farms where food is produced. One critical concern is the increase in input costs. Fertilizers, feed, and other necessary agricultural inputs have risen, which, in turn, affects the cost of production for farmers. Rising input costs mean that farmers must charge more for their products to maintain profitability. This increase is then reflected in grocery store prices, affecting consumers directly. Climate impacts further exacerbate the situation. Unpredictable weather patterns and natural disasters can significantly reduce crop yields, driving up prices for affected products. Farmers are at the mercy of climate variability, and when a drought hits major agricultural areas, the ripple effect can lead to significant price hikes in grocery stores. Labor costs also play a role. With rising wages and labor shortages in the agricultural sector, the cost of farm-produced goods continues to climb, further adding to the inflationary pressures on grocery items.

Steve Benen (MADDOW BLOG, MSNBC) observes:

When Americans learned last week that inflation inched higher in August, despite Donald Trump’s demonstrably false claims to the contrary, it was the latest in a series of discouraging economic developments. In recent weeks, unemployment claims, job growth and the manufacturing sector have all moved in the wrong direction amid sluggish economic growth.

[. . .]

The latest national Fox News poll found that a 52% majority of Americans believe Trump has made the economy worse rather than better, while only 30% believe the opposite.

During a Fox News appearance last week, the president boasted, “We have the best economy we’ve ever had.” The claim was plainly ridiculous, and if the White House intends to persuade the public, it will have to do far better than this.

Let's move over to campaign politics. These days, it seems like the two parties are "the liars" (GOP) and "the stupids" (Democrats). If that seems harsh, it should. Democrats need to stop letting Chump dance circles around them. They've already allowed him to put them on the defense over last week's shooting because, say it with me, they're so damn stupid. He's attacking the left as terrorists and calling us all sorts of names and idiots on YOUTUBE and MSNBC are happy to help him with that. He's laying the ground work for 2028 and is apparently -- and sadly -- smarter than Dems.

Let's start with his attack on an NYC candidate. Kathy Hochul is the Governor New York. On Sunday, Democratic Party member Hochul endorsed Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani to be the next mayor of NYC: ""In the past few months, I've had frank conversations with him. We've had our disagreements. But in our conversations, I heard a leader who shares my commitment to a New York where children can grow up safe in their neighborhoods and where opportunity is within reach for every family. I heard a leader who is focused on making New York City affordable — a goal I enthusiastically support."

Alexander Willis (RAW STORY) offers a take on what then happened:

President Donald Trump lashed out on social media Monday after Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, scored a key endorsement.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Sunday that she would be endorsing Mamdani for mayor, an announcement that comes amid hesitancy from many establishment Democrats to publicly back the Democratic Socialist mayoral hopeful in his bid for office.

Daniel Orton (NEWSWEEK) offers his own take on what happened and it's a similar take:

President Donald Trump slammed New York Governor Kathy Hochul after she publicly endorsed democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City, calling the move "a very bad one for New York City" and suggesting that federal funding to the city could be in jeopardy.

In a Truth Social post early Monday, the president wrote: "Governor Kathy Hochul of New York has Endorsed the 'Liddle' Communist,' Zohran Mamdani, running for Mayor of New York. This is a rather shocking development, and a very bad one for New York City. How can such a thing happen? Washington will be watching this situation very closely. No reason to be sending good money after bad! President DJT."

Is that what happened? Kind of but maybe not.

Zohran is Chump's whipping boy for the Democratic Party and, as usual, Dems are too damn stupid to see what's going on.

I will vote for the 2028 presidential nominee from the Democratic Party no matter who it is. If it's AOC, I'll vote for AOC. I'm not committed to anyone at this point. Donald wants it to be AOC. He's laying the groundwork for it to be her. And he's using Zohran to do it. His attacks on Dems at the end of last week -- attack Dems enabled -- was about that. He's calling Zohran a Communist. He's attacking Socialists. This is all to prepare the country should AOC win the nomination.

Any reasonable person knows that the president of the United States, no matter who it is, should shut their damn mouth when it comes to races for mayor. Know your lane. But Donald can never pass up the chance to attack. So he "scandalized and criticized" and taught his minions to despise (not to Ashford & Simpson who wrote Diana Ross' "No One Gets The Prize"). This is about destroying the Democrats chances.

So we shouldn't nominate AOC!!!!

I'm not saying that. I'm saying we need to be smart about what's going on. We're not though. We've given how much attention now to TD? And everytime we do that, we tell the country -- most of whom didn't know the guy until he got shot dead last week -- this is someone important, this is someone you need to know about. And we do this as Donald uses TD to attack the Democratic Party -- see what I mean about us being "the stupids"?

We don't help the part when we let the media identify the governor of New York as a Democrat and Zohran as a Democratic Socialist. It makes it sound like they're the same thing. They are not the same thing. And we need to be educating on that. There are people who are Democratic Socialists. And there are people who are Democratic Party members. They are not the same thing. DS is to Democratic Party members what the Libertarians are to the Republicans.

I noted after the 2024 elections that we needed to educate. We still need to. Your obsession with politics and my obsession with politics? It's not the norm. Not for most Americans. Which is why we have to educate and why we have to work on turn out the vote.

As I noted then, Socialists needed to be honest about what they were or AOC had no real chance in 2028.

It's taken forever, but a lot more people get it and a lot more people of come about being DSA or whatever.

Chump is demonizing Zohran all the time now and doing that to harm AOC and to try to make the Democratic Party seem radicalized and out of touch with the American people.

So before the next YOUTUBER wants to bore us all with their thoughts about how TD was really, really cool or repeat yet again that murder is wrong -- something our laws already note -- they might try educating their audiences on Democrats, Socialists, Democratic Socialists and much more because while they're being silent on that topic, Chump's already laying the ground work for 2028. And that's what his attacks on Zohran are about.

Last night, on MSNBC, Lawrence O'Donnell noted how Chump has spent the last days attempting to distract from reality.

And also addressing the Epstein-Maxwell scandal last night was MSNBC's THE WEEKNIGHT which featured US House Rep Roberto Garcia discussing where the House Oversight Committee's investigation into this matter currently stands.

Staying with the topic of sex traffickers Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein -- close friends of Donald Chump, Alexander Bolton (THE HILL) reports:

Some Republicans now say privately that it’s inevitable Congress will pass legislation directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all files the Department of Justice (DOJ) possesses related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

President Trump has repeatedly tried to wave aside calls from Republicans and MAGA activists to make all the Epstein files public, but GOP lawmakers say privately that Trump is losing the battle to move on from the controversy that has been a White House annoyance since earlier this summer.

One Republican senator who requested anonymity to comment on the sensitive topic told The Hill that Congress will sooner or later pass legislation directing Bondi to release all unclassified files related to Epstein.

The senator pointed out that many Republican lawmakers who followed Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) instructions and declined to sign a discharge petition to bring the Epstein matter to the House floor for a vote have nevertheless been “very vocal” in demanding the Justice Department release all Epstein-related materials.

“Whole bunches of them have been very vocal about this. Most of the Freedom Caucus has been,” the senator said. “The problem for some of these folks is that this has been an issue for years.”

The senator observed that when Bondi said in February that a list of Epstein’s clients “is sitting on” her “desk right now to review,” she created a huge expectation that the administration would reveal the names of the well-connected and wealthy men who participated in Epstein’s sexual exploitation of girls and teenagers.

“That was really unwise,” the lawmaker said.

Unwise? There's a reason they call her Pam Bimbo Bondi. Now for a dumb Bondi joke: Why can't Pam Bondi dial 911? Because she can't find the button for eleven.

And unwise is everything that Chump and his administration have done including dispatching AG Todd Blance to play footsie with Maxwell for two days and to agree to transfer her to a lower level prison (one she's not qualified for because she's a convicted pedophile) in exchange for her answers and/or silences. We really don't know because they lied to everyone about the meet up insisting no deal was made -- just lying to our faces. It's outrageous and it's impeachable -- grasp that. It's an abuse of office. Laura Mitchell (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER) reminds what we learned last week:

President Donald Trump and Department of Justice officials have faced scrutiny after convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell was moved to a minimum-security federal prison following a multihour interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. The transfer has prompted criticism from lawmakers and victims’ advocates who argued it raises questions about whether Maxwell received a benefit tied to cooperation and has increased calls for the release of Epstein-related records. Maxwell was moved after nine hours of questioning by Department of Justice (DOJ) officials and the transfer is being examined for any link to her cooperation.

When speaking on CNN regarding the case, Maxwell attorney Arthur Aidala stated, "When anybody who’s represented by a lawyer who knows what they’re doing goes in and meets with the government, there’s always a quid pro quo."

Aidala added, "You don’t just take your client in and say, ‘Let me talk to you about something.’ They wanted information from—hypothetically, anytime the government wants information from a citizen, the citizen says, ‘Well, I have a right to remain silent. If you want me to give up that right, I need something in return.’"

Former Biden administration adviser Neera Tanden said, "You just admitted to a quid pro quo with the Trump administration," to which Aidala stated, "But that’s how the whole system works!"

Todd Blanche is Chump's personal shyster and never should have been sent to question Maxwell to being with as Rachel Maddow pointed out last week.

Maxwell notes that Epstein clients are in Chump's current administration and, as Rachel notes, Blanche doesn't ask for their names. What does he instead say?

"Uhm . . . so . . . when's the last time you think you were with Mr. Epstein when he got a massage."

Just completely ignores it because that's what Chump sent him to do.

The person who should have been questioning Maxwell? Maurene Comey who had worked on both the Epstein and the Maxwell cases. But Chump fired her July 16, 2025 when he discovered her father was his mortal enemy James Comey. Kevin Breuninger (CNBC) reports:

Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor involved in criminal cases against Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, sued the Department of Justice on Monday to get her job back after she was fired from the Trump administration in July.

Comey, a daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, received no explanation for her "unlawful and unconstitutional" termination, her attorneys wrote in the lawsuit in federal court in Manhattan.

"In truth, there is no legitimate explanation," they wrote.

"Rather, Defendants fired Ms. Comey solely or substantially because her father is former FBI Director James B. Comey, or because of her perceived political affiliation and beliefs, or both."

The lawsuit names the Department of Justice, the Executive Office of the President and their respective leaders as defendants, along with the Office of Personnel Management and the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys.

In related news, Leigh Kimmins (INDEPENDENT) reports:

President Donald Trump has been trolled with a giant image of him and Jeffrey Epstein together, ahead of the president’s U.K. state visit.

Activist group Everyone Hates Elon crowdfunded the equivalent of $40,000 from the British public to commission a 4,300 square-foot photograph of the men together at Mar-a-Lago in 1997.

And, in a bid to “ruin Trump’s U.K. visit,” it was placed on the grounds of Windsor Castle, where Trump will meet the British king and queen on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for Everyone Hates Elon said: “It’s time to celebrate the special relationship-the relationship between pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and President Donald Trump. Trump’s supporters are tearing themselves apart over the Epstein files. Now he’s hoping to escape it all to have tea with the King.

“But there’s no way we’re letting him use our country to polish his image. Most people here hate what he stands for.” They added: “We’re ready to make sure Epstein haunts him everywhere he goes.”

Let's wind down with this from Senator Patty Murray's office:

ICYMI: Murray, Wyden, Senate Colleagues Slam Social Security for Improperly Declaring Thousands Dead, Call for Watchdog Investigation

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member on the Senate Finance Committee, and 10 other senators in a letter to the Office of Inspector General (OIG), criticizing the Social Security Administration’s watchdog office for declining to launch an investigation into the Trump administration’s efforts to use the Death Master File (DMF) to purge thousands of legal immigrants’ Social Security numbers in order to make them leave the country.

The senators raised concerns about the OIG’s ability to act as an independent agency safeguarding the Social Security programs that millions of people rely on. The watchdog agency relied on previous statements made by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to forego addressing serious concerns about laws that the Trump administration may have broken by declaring thousands of legal immigrants as dead.

“SSA OIG appears to have taken SSA’s word as fact instead of conducting an independent review,” the senators wrote to SSA Acting Inspecting General Michelle L. Anderson. “This decision is a stark departure from the office’s history and mission of conducting independent oversight of the Social Security Administration and its programs.”

Instead of reviewing Social Security’s recent actions, OIG instead announced its decision to review incorrectly recorded deaths from the previous administration that excludes the past seven months. This new audit by OIG raises serious questions on whether its oversight work has been politicized in light of Social Security’s unlawful use of the DMF. SSA OIG has long served as an agency that conducts oversight of SSA, especially if possible laws, regulations, or policies were violated.

“If federal laws were not followed, or if an individual’s constitutional rights were violated due to an agency action, the public needs to know. These instances may result in ongoing harm, regardless of whether an action or initiative is still operative,” the senators concluded.

Senators joining the letter in addition to Murray and Wyden include: Peter Welch (D-VT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Angus King (I-ME), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR).

OIG’s response to the senators’ initial request is available HERE.

The senators’ full letter to OIG is available HERE and below.

Michelle L. Anderson

Acting Inspector General

Social Security Administration

6401 Security Boulevard

Baltimore, MD 21235

Acting Inspector General Anderson:

We write in response to your letter dated August 18, 2025, in which the Office of Inspector General (OIG) declines our April 30 request to conduct a full investigation into reports that the Social Security Administration (SSA) placed living noncitizens on the Death Master File (DMF) in an effort to have them “self-deport.” Based on your response, it appears your office did not conduct a thorough and independent review in response to our request. Consequently, we are concerned about the independence of the OIG and its ability to safeguard the Social Security programs and the millions of beneficiaries who rely on them.

In your letter, you write that your office had requested information from SSA regarding reports that it has placed noncitizens who are “lawfully present in the United States; have lawfully obtained Social Security numbers; are authorized to work in the country; and are not known to be deceased” in the DMF. However, based on your response, we are concerned that your “review” was not done thoroughly or independently. Instead, it appears SSA OIG relies primarily on a statement from SSA summarizing its actions and does not address any of our serious due process concerns or concerns related to possible violation of federal laws. In other words, SSA OIG appears to have taken SSA’s word as fact instead of conducting an independent review.

This decision is a stark departure from the office’s history and mission of conducting independent oversight of the Social Security Administration and its programs. As you know, SSA OIG has regularly initiated and completed audits of initiatives and actions that are no longer active. Lessons can still be obtained from investigating an inactive initiative or action as SSA may resume, either in whole or in part, the reviewed action or initiative in the future. Indeed, as your letter acknowledges, after it removed those individuals from the DMF, SSA implemented an alternative approach a few weeks later to manipulate its records of the same individuals to achieve the same outcome: rendering their SSNs unusable in an effort to have them self-deport.

Second, instances in which federal laws, regulations, or SSA policies were potentially violated should be investigated, regardless of whether the action or initiative is no longer active. As our letter noted, numerous federal laws may be implicated by this action as well as individuals’ due process rights. If federal laws were not followed, or if an individual’s constitutional rights were violated due to an agency action, the public needs to know. These instances may result in ongoing harm, regardless of whether an action or initiative is still operative. In such cases, actions that are not thoroughly investigated for their adverse impacts threaten to recur. There is no statute of limitations for an Inspector General to investigate wrongdoing.

Finally, rather than investigating this current, ongoing process, you instead announced a review of incorrectly recorded deaths during the previous administration and excluding the past seven months, during which time the Trump administration used the DMF to effect the “financial death” of SSN-holding immigrants in this country. We agree that the accuracy and reliability of SSA’s death master file is critically important, which is why we requested the investigation in the first place. However, this audit seems somewhat duplicative, as OIG already continuously audits death records submitted by federal agencies and States. Since January 2020, OIG audited the death records submitted by the State Department, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Puerto Rico, New York City, and 18 states. The timing of this new audit and its review period raises questions about whether this audit was made due to political considerations rather than independent oversight, especially in light of significant action to unlawfully corrupt the SSA’s DMF by this administration warranting immediate and thorough review.

We resubmit our April 30 request for the OIG to investigate SSA’s decision to place living individuals on the Death Master File and to review the current process to apply special indicator codes to certain individuals.

We look forward to your prompt response to our request.

Sincerely,

###

The following sites updated: