NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Uncertainty has grown as President Donald Trump’s administration has laid off hundreds of federal employees across multiple divisions. The rapid-fire cuts have left municipalities and states, including Metro Nashville, scrambling to understand the impact.
“Our money — we paid! Hands off SSA!” a crowd of people chanted Thursday outside Nashville’s Social Security office.
“If these offices are shut down and employees fired, what happens to the next family that’s in crisis?” a member of the crowd questioned.
The worries about Nashville’s branch of the SSA came after the Department of Government Efficiency had updated its “Wall of Receipts,” which is a list of government contracts, grants and real estate the department is cutting, or plans to cut, to save federal tax dollars.
As of publication, Nashville’s SSA office is still in operation. However, the 4,133 square-foot facility was on DOGE’s list.
“These closures and firings are not just about numbers on a budget sheet,” one woman said during Thursday’s rally. “They’re about people.”
On Friday, Mayor Freddie O’Connell addressed concerns about Social Security and doubled down on the city’s commitment to seniors.
“While we’re seeing uncertainty in federal commitment to supporting seniors here locally, we’re re-doubling our commitment to ensure that aging Nashvillians can do so as comfortably and securely as possible,” O’Connell said.
In the same breath, the mayor also addressed how federal funds could impact Nashville after the Trump administration issued a memo wanting to freeze trillions of dollars in grant and loan payments. The freeze would leave state and local government programs in limbo.
“The impact that we’re seeing right now across the county for related support include estimates from the Center for Nonprofit Excellence in Middle Tennessee showing that 396 non-profits are currently at risk of losing funding equaling $1.5 billion,” O’Connell said.
This week, a federal judge blocked the administration’s plans in 22 states and the District of Columbia. Tennessee was not on the list.
“I honestly don’t know how we’re going to grapple with it if we see very large amounts of federal funding go suddenly missing across a whole set of demands of policy in Nashville,” O’Connell said.
As of publication, the future of Nashville’s SSA office is unclear.
