2024 Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris during a campaign rally in Atlanta, Georgia claimed 2024 Republican candidate and former president Donald Trump is “going to cut Social Security and Medicare.”
Verdict: Misleading
President Trump’s official 2024 campaign platform clearly states that he will protect Social Security and Medicare. Some experts and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) say President Trump’s tax cuts could accelerate bankruptcy by years. However, CRFB characterized Harris’ assertion that President Trump intends to cut spending on the two programs as misleading.
Fact check:
The latest six-day Reuters/Ipsos poll, which ended Oct. 21, found Ms. Harris holding a “narrow” lead over Mr. Trump, 46% to 43%. outlet Reported.
At a campaign rally in Atlanta, Harris claimed that Trump was “going to cut Social Security and Medicare.” Harris campaign September document accused “President Trump is proposing “significant cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.”
This claim is misleading. According to him, Official campaign platform for 2024President Trump promised to “fight for and protect Social Security and Medicare without making any cuts, including changing the retirement age.”
“President Trump has made it clear that he will not cut a penny from Medicare or Social Security. Americans have worked hard all their lives and contributed to Social Security and Medicare. Our promise is that the Republican Party will protect these important plans and ensure economic stability. We will work with our great predecessors to keep them healthy and strong. “We are committed to protecting the future of our seniors and all American families,” reads page 12 of President Trump’s 2024 campaign platform.
On the same page of the document, President Trump reiterates that he will protect Social Security and Medicare.
“Social Security is a lifeline for millions of retirees, but corrupt politicians have usurped it to fund their own cherished projects. We will restore economic stability to ensure our potential.”
“Republicans will protect Medicare’s finances from being financially crushed by Democrats’ plan to add tens of millions of new illegal immigrants to the Medicare rolls. We will protect Medicare for future generations. “We pledge to strengthen the
Similarly, Works from Bankrate on October 10th A comparison of Harris’ and Trump’s platforms shows that Trump has promised to protect Medicare.
Bankrate reports that President Trump will “rescind Medicare Part B premium increases made during the Biden administration, prioritize home care, and support caregivers through tax credits and ‘red tape cuts.’ It proposes providing support and “breaking down the impediments that lead to a shortage of nursing care personnel.” quotes a campaign statement posted on his website.
The outlet also said Trump “suggested that we address waste, fraud and abuse in the system to save money.”
In addition, forbes Trump is proposing to eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits for seniors. Posted on July 31st The former president said on TRUTH social. (Related: Walz claims President Trump wants a nationwide abortion ban)
“Seniors shouldn’t pay taxes on Social Security!” Trump wrote at the time.
moreover, October 17th blog postCRFB is claim Harris’ campaign accused Trump of proposing “major cuts to Medicare and Medicaid” in his budget during his presidency, calling them “mostly false, misleading and counterproductive.”
Especially when looking at President Trump, 2021 budgetthe CRFB found that his Medicare proposal “would be extended.”[ed] Reduce the solvency of the Medicare program by at least 25 years by reducing some costs of the Medicare HI program and moving funding for training outside of Medicare. ”
President Trump’s fiscal year 2021 budget also included “proposals to make cuts.” bad debt Refund, reduction of excess amount Post-acute care payment, recruitment site-neutral payments You can avoid paying more at a hospital or hospital-owned clinic than at a private clinic for the same service. ”
Finally, under President Trump’s fiscal year 2021 budget, “The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that Medicare costs will remain at 89 percent between fiscal years 2020 and 2030, compared to 104 percent under then-current law.” % increase,” the CRFB noted.
Similarly, October 21 blog post According to a CRFB study, President Trump’s Social Security proposal would “expedite bankruptcy by three years from fiscal year 2034 to fiscal year 2031,” and that “by fiscal year 2035, the annual Social Security shortfall would increase from 3.6% to 4% of payroll.” “It will increase by 50%.”
According to the same blog post, the CRFB said President Trump’s proposal would “increase Social Security’s cash deficit by $2.3 trillion over the 10-year period ending in fiscal year 2035” and “by 33% of total benefits in 2035.” “This will lead to reductions,” he concluded. Under current law, 23% of CBOs would implement projects,” and stated that “to restore solvency in 75 years, they would have to cut benefits by about one-third or increase revenues by about one-half under current law.” We need the same amount.”
President Trump has proposed eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits, tips, and overtime pay, as well as imposing tariffs and expanding deportations, all of which would “widen Social Security’s cash deficit. ” noted the CRFB.
A CRFB spokesperson directed both blog posts to “Check Your Fact.”
Several experts weighed in on Harris’ claims in Check Your Fact.
Romina BocciaThe director of budget and rights policy at the libertarian Cato Institute called Harris’ claims “politically charged and misleading statements.”
“Vice President Harris’ assertion that President Trump intends to cut Social Security and Medicare overlooks the critical issue of the fiscal unsustainability of these programs and is politically charged and misleading. The reality is that Social Security and Medicare face significant funding shortfalls and are on an unsustainable path, with benefits automatically reduced when trust funds are depleted. Boccia said.
“Debates about changes to these programs are often framed as cuts, but most reformers are essentially making changes to these programs to address fiscal collapse and avoid a U.S. debt crisis. We’re talking about the need to slow spending growth.”
“Mr. Trump only proposed cuts to wasteful and inappropriate spending on Social Security and Medicare during his presidency, and he said he would not cut them in his second term, regardless of who is elected president. “Both systems are scheduled to fail in the early 2030s, and Washington needs to act to avoid automatic cuts in benefits under current law,” she added.
ben ritzTrump, vice president for policy development and director of the Center for Financing America’s Future, a center-left Progressive Policy Institute, said Trump’s tax cuts impact Social Security and Medicare.
“Although he has not proposed specific cuts to Social Security or Medicare, both programs already face significant funding shortfalls, and President Trump will deepen the trillion-dollar funding shortfall with new tax cuts.” Social Security and Medicare are by far the largest spending programs in the federal government, so President Trump is proposing to either slash the programs to match the tax cuts or make our country worse. would have to widen the budget deficit to such an extent that the economy experiences dwarfing levels of inflation, something we did not experience during the Biden administration,” Ritz said.
brian blazeThe president of the Paragon Health Institute and a former special assistant to the president for economic policy in the White House National Economic Council told Check Your Facts that Trump wants to “keep Medicare and Social Security intact. I have said that repeatedly,” he said.
“President Trump has repeatedly said he will preserve Medicare and Social Security and not cut benefits to enrollees. He has also said he will target waste, fraud, and abuse across the government, which It exists in every government program,” Blaise said.
brendan dukePresident Trump has “repeatedly proposed measures” that would affect Social Security and Medicare, said the senior director of economic policy at the liberal Center for American Progress Action Fund.
“There is a big difference between what Donald Trump says on the campaign trail and what his policies actually do. Donald Trump has accelerated cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits, , we have repeatedly proposed measures to further reduce emissions,” Duke said.
“a recent analysis His tax plan would accelerate the depletion of the Social Security Trust Fund from 2034 to 2031 and deepen benefit cuts to about one-third of current benefit levels, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. It turned out to be something. His policies would have a similar effect on the Medicare Trust Fund, accelerating bankruptcies and deepening benefit cuts. President Trump’s interest in defunding the Social Security Trust Fund is not new. he made suggestion It will have a similar impact in 2020,” he added.
Check Your Fact has also reached out to spokespeople for the Trump and Harris campaigns for comment.
