U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R) shared his thoughts on the newly created "Trump Accounts" for children, stating that they could eventually pave the way for a broader transformation of Social Security by allowing Americans to invest portions of their payroll taxes into personal stock market accounts.
Speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference, Sen. Cruz described the accounts as an incremental step toward the long-debated conservative goal of privatizing parts of Social Security, an effort that failed during the administration of former President George W. Bush.
"Here's the dirty little secret: Trump Accounts are Social Security personal accounts," Sen. Cruz said during the panel discussion.
The accounts, established through legislation Cruz authorized and later signed into law by President Donald Trump as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, apply to children born between 2025 and 2028. Cruz argued the accounts embody what he called "opportunity conservativism" by giving Americans more direct control over their long-term financial growth.
Cruz acknowledged previous Republican efforts to create private Social Security accounts faced political backlash, particularly among older voters.
"How did we get it done this time?" asked Cruz. "Because we gave the money to babies so that the old people didn't get pissed."
He predicted that as families watch the investment accounts grow over time, public support could build for allowing workers to direct portions of their payroll taxes into similar personal investment vehicles rather than traditional Social Security funding.
According to Cruz, a child whose account receives regular contributions could potentially accumulate roughly $170,000 by age 18 and around $700,000 by age 35 through compound market growth.
Social Security currently faces long-term solvency concerns, including a projected cash shortfall in 2026 estimated at roughly $230 billion.
Cruz's remarks signal renewed conservative interest in restructuring Social Security through private investment accounts, an idea that has remained politically contentious for decades.
