GOP lawmaker caught on video faking call instead of answering about Social Security cuts

Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) pretended to take a phone call for roughly 90 seconds when asked about Speaker Mike Johnson's comments on potential Social Security cuts — and the evidence was right there on his screen.

Asked about a "plan to cut Social Security," Wittman is seen in the video grabbing his phone, holding it up to his face, and saying, "Hey, how're you doing?"

Video captured by MeidasTouch shows Wittman holding his phone to his ear and walking away from the question. The problem: his cheek kept inadvertently tapping the visible display, which never showed an active call.

Johnson has floated cuts to Social Security and other entitlement programs as part of Republican budget negotiations, putting some members like Wittman in a bind in districts with large numbers of retirees and older voters who depend on those benefits.

Wittman represents Virginia's 1st Congressional District, which stretches along the Northern Neck and into the Northern Virginia suburbs. He has held the seat since 2007.

Shannon Taylor, a Democrat running against Wittman in VA-01, seized on the new footage.

"Rob Wittman faked a phone call to avoid answering for Social Security cuts," Taylor wrote on X. "I've spent my career making sure people answer for what they've done. In Congress, I'll do the same — because VA-01 deserves someone who tells the truth and protects the benefits Virginians earned."