Trump mentions cutting rights, and Biden jumps in
After former President Donald J. Trump seemed to suggest he was open to cutting federal entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, President Biden immediately seized on the comments, saying, “Not on my watch.”
As he prepares for a general election rematch against Mr. Trump, Mr. Biden has been keen to emphasize his pledge not to touch Social Security or Medicare. He has argued that Republicans, led by Mr. Trump, would take away those benefits. But in a sign of the issue’s political potential, Trump’s campaign quickly tried to make clear that Americans who rely on the programs have nothing to worry about.
In an interview that aired on CNBC on MondayAsked whether he had changed his position on changing those programs to rein in the national debt, Mr. Trump said there is “a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of spending cuts and also in terms of terms of the theft and poor management of rights, massively poor management of rights.”
But he also seemed to disagree with the premise of the question, which stated that something should be done about the programs’ impact on the national debt.
“So I don’t necessarily agree with the statement,” Trump said.
Still, the White House responded quickly.
“Cutting the Medicare and Social Security benefits that Americans have paid to earn throughout their lives, only to make room for even more unaffordable, trickle-down tax breaks for the super-rich, is just plain backwards,” said White House spokesman Andrew Bates . said.
Mr. Trump’s campaign wasted no time in trying to clarify his comments. Posts on said he wanted to freeze federal spending, including social security.
“President Trump made good on his promise to protect Social Security and Medicare in his first term, and President Trump will continue to vigorously protect Social Security and Medicare in his second term,” said Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
Mr. Trump has had to adjust his position on rights reforms in the past. In 2020, as president, he told an interviewer that “at some point” he would consider cutting entitlement programs, prompting Democrats to back off on the comments. The president quickly said, “The Democrats are going to destroy your Social Security. I have left it completely alone, as promised, and will save it!
During his time in office, Trump’s budget proposals sought to undermine the social safety net by calling for cuts to Medicaid and other programs. He largely avoided proposing major cuts to the Social Security retirement program or Medicare, although he did call for some cuts that experts said would not have had a significant effect on benefits. (The changes were not passed by Congress.)
During the Republican primaries, Trump attacked his opponents, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, by suggesting they would cut benefits.