As Trump’s chaos convention begins tonight and Republicans address Americans across the country, older Mainers in crisis due to Trump’s repeated broken promises on Social Security will hear nothing to reassure them. Despite promising to “save” Social Security, Trump has repeatedly attacked it, including signing an Executive Order to defer the payroll tax, which is the program’s primary funding source.
Trump has also pledged to permanently eliminate the payroll tax if re-elected, which would devastate Maine. As the oldest state in the nation, a disproportionate share of Maine people rely on Social Security for part or all of their income. Defunding a critical program that’s been the bedrock of American retirement since it was first signed into law would ruin older Maine voter’s financial security.
“Donald Trump’s broken promises on Social Security have thrown older Mainers and aging adults across the country into crisis,” said Kathleen Marra, Chair of the Maine Democratic Party. “Trump’s threats to Social Security, which is one of the most important earned benefits for so many Mainers, would have a devastating impact. Joe Biden has a plan to strengthen Social Security, which is why we must send him to the White House this November.”
BACKGROUND ON TRUMP’S BROKEN PROMISES ON SOCIAL SECURITY
PROMISE: At his campaign launch in 2015, Trump said that he would “Save Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security without cuts. Have to do it.”
REALITY: Every single one of Trump’s budgets has called for significant cuts to Social Security.
- His FY21 budget called for cutting Social Security by $24 million.
- His FY20 budget proposed a $26 billion cut to Social Security programs.
- His FY19 budget advocated for a massive $72 billion cut to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
- His FY18 budget called for a $70 billion cut to SSDI.
REALITY: The Trump administration has repeatedly attempted to make it harder for Americans to access social security benefits.
- The administration proposed increasing the frequency of reviews of whether SSDI recipients are eligible for the program, without analyzing how many people would lose benefits as a result.
- The administration also proposed tightening the requirements for SSDI, meaning the benefits would be harder for many to access.
REALITY: Trump plans to undermine Social Security if he is re-elected.
- He has repeatedly said that if he gets re-elected, he will eliminate the payroll tax that funds Social Security, with no plan to replace the lost funds.
- He said that “we’ll be cutting” entitlement programs in his second term, because it is “actually the easiest of all things.”
PROMISE: Trump insisted he would be able to make a “really dynamic economy” without cutting Social Security [Republican Primary Debate, Boulder CO, 11/28/15].
REALITY: After his failed coronavirus response led to the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression, he plans to cut Social Security funding to mitigate the economic fallout.
- Trump’s failure to deal with the coronavirus has led to one of the worst economies in American history, with GDP dropping by the largest amount ever.
- Trump signed an Executive Order to defer the payroll tax that funds Social Security.
- Trump has also said he would eventually like the suspension to become permanent without designating another funding source for Social Security, which would likely bankrupt the program.
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