| As Donald Trump enters his first week in office surrounding himself with billionaires at his inauguration and enriching himself on the backs of his supporters with a new cryptocurrency grift, he’s made his plans clear from the start: he will screw over Virginians at every turn in order to benefit himself and his billionaire friends.
It’s clear Donald Trump will screw over Virginians by doubling down on his Project 2025 agenda by cutting Social Security — despite 1,618,643 Virginians who have earned Social Security benefits. Trump attempted to cut essential programs like Medicare and Medicaid every year in his first term. And he’s already showing us he’ll screw over Virginians again: One of his first orders of business was rescinding President Biden’s executive order aimed at lowering prescription costs for our seniors. DNC Deputy Communications Director Abhi Rahman released the following statement:
“Trump has a long and shameful history of threatening hard-earned benefits like Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare — and with help from Project 2025 architect Russ Vought, he’ll do it again. Trump has already started screwing over Virginia, and he’ll cut Social Security if he gets the chance — threatening Virginia seniors’ pocketbooks while he continues to protect billionaires’ bottom lines. While Trump tries to scam Americans out of their hard-earned benefits, Democrats won’t stop fighting to protect access to Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, and every critical program hardworking Virginians rely on.”
Only hours after he was sworn in, Trump immediately rescinded President Biden’s executive order aimed at lowering prescription drug costs for people on Medicare or Medicaid.
KFF Health News: “Hours Into Presidency, Trump Rescinds Attempts To Lower Prescription Costs, Rolls Back Some ACA Rules”
“Trump also halted some prescription cost-saving efforts for people on Medicare and Medicaid, which might stall momentum for Medicare drug pricing negotiations.”
With help from Vought, Trump proposed slashing Social Security in every single one of his first term budgets, and he’s called Social Security a “Ponzi scheme.”
Vox: “Trump said he wouldn’t cut Medicaid, Social Security, and Medicare. His 2020 budget cuts all 3.”
Trump’s FY18, FY19, FY20, and FY21 budgets each proposed billions of dollars in cuts to Social Security programs.
CNN: “In his book, Trump lamented big cuts the program would need without changes, and said he would consider privatization.
“‘The truth is undeniable, the workers of America have been forced to invest a sixth of our wages into a huge Ponzi scheme,’ Trump wrote.”
Trump can’t hide from his shameful record of attacking Social Security — he’s repeatedly promised to threaten the pocketbooks of America’s seniors.
Trump: “Oh we’ll be cutting [entitlements]”
CNN: “Trump suggests he’s open to cuts to Medicare and Social Security after attacking primary rivals over the issue”
Trump: “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.”
On Day One of his presidency, Trump took immediate action to install billionaire Elon Musk’s task force at the White House — setting up efforts to put hard-earned benefits like Social Security on the chopping block.
CNBC: “DOGE’s Musk, Ramaswamy want Congress to pass huge spending cuts. That’s a tough sell”
New York Times: “Musk Wants to Slash $2 Trillion in Federal Spending. Is That Possible?”
“‘To eliminate a third of the government, you would have to dramatically eliminate full functions of the federal government,’ said Brian Riedl, a senior fellow at the right-leaning Manhattan Institute. ‘You would have to dramatically scale back programs like Social Security, Medicare and defense and veterans.’”
Trump’s returning OMB director Russ Vought, who is slated to soon be voted out of committee for Senate confirmation, repeatedly pushed cuts to Social Security in Trump’s first term — and will shape Trump’s agenda again.
Common Dreams: “Trump’s Nomination of Project 2025 Architect Means Social Security, Medicare ‘Are At Risk’”
“President-elect Donald Trump’s choice of Russell Vought, a Project 2025 architect, to lead the White House budget office was seen as further evidence of the threat the incoming administration poses to Social Security, Medicare, and other critical government programs.
“Vought, who currently heads the far-right think tank Center for Renewing America think tank, served as director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) during Trump’s first term, and he’s set to return to the post after playing a central role in crafting the Project 2025 agenda that the Republican president-elect attempted to disavow on the campaign trail.” |
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