Less than a mile from the office of U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Athens, over 50 people from counties across North Georgia took to the square in downtown Gainesville to protest federal budget cuts under President Donald J. Trump’s administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk.
In early-March, in conjunction with the cuts, DOGE announced the termination of at least five of Georgia’s 34 regional Social Security offices. Those locations include Brunswick, Columbus, Vidalia, Thomasville and Gainesville.
During the demonstration, sparked by the future closure of the Gainesville office, multiple people reported seeing Clyde at a restaurant just across the street from the site of the protest, telling Now Habersham the congressman left through the back without hearing their concerns.
In recent weeks, opponents of the cuts have accused Clyde of failing to take action to prevent the closure.
When reached by phone, a representative at Clyde’s Gainesville office referred Now Habersham to spokesperson Madeline Huffman, who provided a statement via email Friday afternoon.
“Congressman Clyde is in Gainesville today meeting with constituents,” Huffman said. “A few protesters approached Congressman Clyde to ask about the (Social Security) Office in Gainesville. Rep. Clyde confirmed that the SSA Office in Gainesville is open and operating.”
Closure of the Gainesville office could leave North Georgians with few options for in-person services. The nearest alternative Social Security facility is in Toccoa, potentially forcing seniors who experience existing issues of transportation to travel farther to access those services.
Protest
By noon, protesters – ranging from seniors to younger supporters – marched around Gainesville’s downtown square. Chants of “Andrew Clyde, why do you hide?” filled the air as participants held up posters with slogans like: “Protect Social Security – Stop Donnie and Clyde Stealing From Citizens,” “Clyde Cares More About D.C. Street Mural Than About Seniors of the 9th C.D.,” “Andrew Clyde Must Hate Old People,” “No Outreach, No Action, No Support, Keep SS Office Open,” “Clyde, Save Our Social Security Office,” “Bad DOGE” and “Send Musk To Mars.”
“We’re an over 55 community,” Hall County resident Sandy Barnak said Friday. “Many of the people here are over 65. They should care that this office is getting closed. This is just another one of the haphazard cuts they’re doing.”
While Barnack is adept using the internet, she noted other people her age are not. And without a Social Security office to visit in-person, Barnack said she fears a potential rise in scams targeting senior citizens over the phone.
“It’s so much easier to speak to someone in person,” she said.
White County resident and former chair of White County’s Democratic Party Marilyn Langford, an organizer of Friday’s protest, said she believes shuttering Social Security offices is just the first step in a long-term plan to gut assistance to seniors.
The Trump administration has not announced plans to cut Social Security.
“First, they come for your Social Security office, then they come for your Social Security, then they come for you,” said Langford, a former federal employee with the NSA, where she worked for 12 years in the late-80s and 1990s. “We need to do something.”
Susan Demora traveled from Fannin County to Gainesville to participate in the protest. Demora said that while there is an office near Blue Ridge, it has limited resources and she’s often sent to the location in Gainesville.
“The closest (Social Security office) to us would be in Dalton,” she said of potential closure of the Gainesville office. “We’re wanting to put pressure on Andrew Clyde to be accountable for what’s going on, and for his support of Donald Trump. We’re very, very angry at Donald Trump and Elon Musk for the (cuts).”
Dean Erickson, a Hall County resident, agreed with his fellow seniors who marched around the square Friday. He said both he and his wife rely on Gainesville’s Social Security office for needed in-person services.
“Seniors voted overwhelmingly Republican,” he said. “… If we have an issue, what do we do? Call them on the phone? You’ll never get an answer.”
Like Demora, Erickson believes greater barriers could arise for seniors throughout the region if the Gainesville office is closed down.
“It’s hard for some of these people to deal with the internet,” he said. “It’s going to be even harder for them to deal with phone calls. Not everybody knows you’re never going to get an income phone call (from Social Security). You’re never going to get an incoming email (from Social Security). They’ll send it to you in a letter.”
A handful of millennials also marched alongside seniors during the demonstration. Two of them explained the root of their opposition, which they said stems from the notion they also will one day be senior citizens and rely on Social Security.
“The only way you enact real change is by standing up and showing out even when it doesn’t actually affect you,” said Alexa Elliott, a protester in her 30s from Sugar Hill. “It’s basic human empathy. I will support anybody who’s being marginalized.”
Lindsay Day, in her 40s also from Sugar Hill, then echoed Elliott’s remarks.
“Someday, we might need Social Security,” she said. “We don’t need it now, but we know people that do. We have grandparents. It’s our right. We’re paying for it. We need the services.”
Clyde responds
Just before 12:30 p.m., pockets of demonstrators holding signs stood facing Sweet Magnolia’s Café and Bakery on the corner of Main Street, where they believed Clyde was inside as they demanded he come out to speak to constituents.
At least one protester, Nancy Lawrence, went inside to confront the congressman. She said Clyde denied the office would soon close before he picked up a to-go order and left out the back of the building.
Barnack said she also approached Clyde as he was leaving his Gainesville office toward Magnolia’s, asking him to visit the square to speak to voters. She told Now Habersham Clyde avoided her and continued down the street.
Clyde issued a statement through Huffman on Friday.
“I’m honored to represent the Ninth’s voice and fight for our shared values in Congress,” Clyde said. “I encourage folks to contact my office to share any comments, questions or concerns they may have about my work on their behalf.”
Asked about a potential timeline for closure or whether the office could be relocated, Huffman referred Now Habersham to a previous statement issued by the U.S. Social Security Administration last month.
“The Social Security Administration will soon implement agency-wide organizational restructuring that will include significant workforce reductions,” the agency released in late February. “Through these massive reorganizations, offices that perform functions not mandated by statute may be prioritized for reduction-in-force actions that could include abolishment of organizations and positions, directed reassignments, and reductions in staffing. The agency may reassign employees from non-mission critical positions to mission critical direct service positions (e.g., field offices, teleservice centers, processing centers). Reassignments may be involuntary and may require retraining for new workloads.”
Clyde went on to issue another statement just before 5 p.m.
“My team in Gainesville is equipped with phenomenal case workers who are always ready to help folks with federal agencies, such as receiving fair treatment from the IRS, navigating Social Security claims, or obtaining VA benefits,” he said. “I encourage the Ninth to contact my office if they ever need assistance with a federal agency, and I remain committed to ensuring Northeast Georgians receive the federal services they deserve.”
