(ReliableNews.org) – Now that the two candidates for the presidential election are all but official, voters are assessing where they stand on the issues. Recently, former President Donald Trump briefly addressed Social Security and Medicare, indicating cuts to the programs were on the table. Although his campaign spokesperson tried to clarify his words, it was too late.
Karoline Leavitt, a Trump campaign spokeswoman, quickly said Trump was only talking about trimming “waste, not entitlements.” The former president also tried to elaborate on his earlier statement, telling Breitbart that he wouldn’t “do anything” to “hurt Social Security or Medicare.” President Joe Biden responded to Trump’s words, reassuring that no cuts would ever happen to the programs while he was in charge. In fact, he said if anyone tried it, he would “stop them.”
Trump has not released a plan for the entitlements if he was elected, but Leavitt stated that he protected Medicare and Social Security when he was in the White House and would do so again. However, a retirement expert recently told Newsweek that his recent statements might cause voters to look at his “track record” regarding the programs. He said they would find evidence of him talking about cutting Social Security, indicating the viewpoint was nothing new for Trump.
That could mean trouble for his campaign, especially because Trump has yet to detail his plans for voters. Former Social Security Administration Chief Operating Officer James Lockhart told Newsweek that “keep[ing] the SSA solvent is a pertinent issue” for the next president.
Biden’s recent budget proposal includes measures he says will strengthen and protect Social Security. It calls for the “highest-income Americans to pay their fair share.” While some Republicans have floated the idea of raising the retirement age, Trump was non-committal about any future plans. Instead, he took a swipe at the current administration and the country itself, calling America “weak.” It’s unclear how the issue will affect him come November.
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