WASHINGTON

Former US President Joe Biden returned to the national spotlight Tuesday, defending Social Security and accusing President Donald Trump’s administration of gutting the critical program.

Delivering his first public remarks since leaving office in January, Biden addressed a national conference of Advocates, Counselors and Representatives for the Disabled in Chicago, warning that Trump has "taken a hatchet" to the Social Security Administration (SSA).

"In fewer than 100 days, this new administration has done so much damage and destruction. It's kind of breathtaking," said the 82-year-old Democrat.

"They've taken a hatchet to the Social Security Administration, pushing an additional 7,000 employees out the door, including the most seasoned career officials. Now they’re getting ready to push more out the door."

“Why are these guys taking aim at Social Security now?” he said. “They’re following that whole line from tech startups—‘move fast, break things.’ Well, they’re certainly breaking things. They’re shooting first and aiming later.”

He echoed criticism from former Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O'Malley, quoting him as saying: “They want to wreck it so they can rob it.”

"Why do they want to rob it?" Biden continued. "To deliver huge tax cuts to billionaires and big corporations."

Biden warned that Republicans were setting the stage for deep cuts to Social Security and Medicaid, using rising national debt as a pretext to strip funding from programs Americans have long paid into.

"Republicans—these guys—are willing to hurt the middle class and the working class in order to deliver significantly greater wealth to the already very wealthy," he said. "Who in the hell do they think they are?"