ArcaMax

One of my goals in this column is to give you the facts and analysis you need to make informed decisions, especially political ones — and equip you to spread the word to others. So here goes on social security.

During a typically rambling and incoherent interview last week, Trump admitted he would cut Social Security and Medicare if reelected. “…there is a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting and in terms of also the theft and the bad management of entitlements.”

Trump has tried to walk back the remarks, saying that when he used the word “cutting” he didn’t actually mean “cutting,” and that Social Security has a lot of waste. (In fact, Social Security is well managed, and theft or fraud is rare.)

But there’s no question Trump and his Republican allies want to cut Social Security and Medicare.

Here’s why. At the heart of their economic agenda — at least the portion they’re sharing with their super-wealthy backers — is another giant tax cut for the super-wealthy and big corporations.

The problem is that this tax cut would cause the federal budget deficit to explode — as did their last tax cut for the wealthy — unless Social Security and Medicare are cut. (Remember that as president, Trump repeatedly included cuts to Social Security and Medicare in his official budget proposals.)

This is why Trumpers have been ramping up calls for cuts in Social Security (or raising the age of eligibility, which is the same thing).

Last week, Daily Wire founder and professional bloviator Ben Shapiro— oblivious to the fact that millions of Americans do hard work that takes a toll on their bodies — urged that the retirement age be raised. “No one in the United States should be retiring at 65 years old. Frankly, I think retirement itself is a stupid idea unless you have some sort of health problem.” Turning Points USA founder Charlie Kirk echoed Shapiro: “I’m not a fan of retirement. I don’t think retirement is biblical.”

I want to be clear with you about Social Security. (I was once a trustee of the Social Security Trust Fund, so I know about this issue.)

Even without another Trump Republican tax cut for the rich, America still faces a pending problem financing Social Security. (Medicare is less problematic because the rise in health care costs has slowed, probably due to the Affordable Care Act.)

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