Trump Admits That He Supports Cutting Social Security From A ‘Moral Standpoint’

Social Security has been called the third rail of American politics: Touch it and you die. And if that is indeed the case, then Donald Trump might want to start picking out a nice casket.

Bloomberg is reporting that when Trump met with Paul Ryan before the 2016 election, he told the former House Speaker that he does indeed favor cutting Social Security. Bloomberg cites an unnamed source who was in the room when the meeting was held.


According to the source, Trump told Ryan:

“From a moral standpoint, I believe in it. But you also have to get elected. And there’s no way a Republican is going to beat a Democrat when the Republican is saying, ‘We’re going to cut your Social Security’ and the Democrat is saying, ‘We’re going to keep it and give you more.’ ”

This is in stark contrast to what Trump has repeatedly said on the campaign trail. Trump has said time and time again that he would leave Social Security alone.


Alex Lawson, executive director of Social Security Works, believes the real intent of Trump is the same as that of most Republicans: Drastically cutting benefits while pretending to support the program:

“It is really clear: Donald Trump would 100 percent go along with the Republican donor class position of cutting Social Security. He openly says he will lie to the people about it because he knows that the people are against it.

“In his eyes the ‘moral’ thing to do is to steal people’s hard-earned benefits and not talk about it.”

As we have seen repeatedly, Trump lies about everything, reverses his positions on issues by the hour, and often seems to be utterly lost when asked for specifics about various policy questions. The man is a complete idiot. He’s also a danger to the very essence of American democracy.

52 thoughts on “Trump Admits That He Supports Cutting Social Security From A ‘Moral Standpoint’

  1. Well, I think this is the straw that will break trump’s back. This is so obvious in contrast to his vow during all of 2016 that even his die hard followers will turn against him because this includes their future as well. They would hope that the medicare cuts would not effect them but they have to admit, cutting social security will. Soon his popularity will nose dive considerably and as a result the republicans will have no choice but to impeach him if for nothing else, their future. They will be the party that ends trump’s presidency just as they were the party that ended Nixon’s.. And it all had to do with their future which with this blatant act will number his days in office.

    • I wish I had been allowed to invest my own retirement rather that have paid SS payroll deductions. Although SS is a good thing for some, it is a horrible burden for others. Wouldn’t you all like to see everybody making $10,000 or $20,000 per month on their investments with the SS money that they were required to blow over their lifetimes.
      Another probelm is that SS is unsustainable in the long run unless somethig is done. If you don’t understand that that is so, I feel sorry for you. If you do believe it’s true, what would you suggest as a solution?

      • Uncap the salary. At this time SSI is not deducted once a salary hits $118,500.00. Uncapping finds the program.

        • Wrong program sweet cheeks. SSI (Supplemental Security Income) is a federal welfare program for the aged blind and disabled. It has nothing to do with SSA (social Security where you and your employeer pay into it) I was an SSI claims representative for Social Security and know the difference. The program is run by the Social Security administran since 1973 after taking the burden off of the states.

      • Put all your money in stocks retire one day and when the market crashes wish you had social security.

        • Agreed, it is illogical, not to mention immoral, to cap the soc sec based on dollars earned. It’s part of paying your fair share.

      • Except that “everybody” wouldn’t be making money on their retirement investments. Especially the kind of money you’re talking about. In the stock market there are winners and losers. What do you say to those who invest in the wrong fund and lose everything? Tough luck? If we remove the cap on income subject to FICA, that alone will sustain Social Security for forty years.

      • Except that “everybody” wouldn’t be making money on their retirement investments. Especially the kind of money you’re talking about. In the stock market there are winners and losers. What do you say to those who invest in the wrong fund and lose everything? Tough luck?

      • Who can expect to make$10,000 a month? Have to make a huge salary. Remember 2008 when people lost so much in the stock market that they couldn’t retire at all !!

      • My suggestion is they stop taking money from the fund for other so-called priorities such as military spending
        and wars.

      • This is pure and simple bullshit…you sir, are one of the greedy deplorables and there’s a plce in hell for you right next to the Dumpster.

      • Ross Aldrich,you only paid up to the SS cap. So what did you do with your money after you reached the cap, did you continue to invest that same amount elsewhere?

        Not sure what you were trying to say when you say burden. You seem to want us to believe you had a super high salary.

      • Bush (W) was pushing to let people incetst it in the Stock Market…That turned out to be a pretty dumb idea in light of the debacle in 2008 with the Market Crash…SS should have been secure, but Washington keeps using it for their personal piggy bank ! The Republicans see OUR INVESTMENT AND TRUST AS AN ENTITLEMENT ! That is the real problem…incompetance and mismanagement and now we have a guy holding the purse strings who filed BANCRUPTCY 4 TIMES ? Makes about as much sense as a G-String in a snow storm.

      • So, you want to make the most you can … Nothing wrong with that idea…But if you make a mistake along the way are you willing to accept the consequences? I like knowing I will have something in the pot when I am no longer collection a pay check…I would like the amount to be more but I know anything is better than nothing..Bet money you can afford to lose not money you will need cause all it takes is one disaster, that may not even be your fault, and you will be screwed….Make what is better don’t destroy something that has actually worked…IMHO

    • Do yourself a favor, Google “Great Depression” and tell me again what a wonderful thing the stock market is.

    • When I was in my 30’s, some 40 years ago, I knew, even then, that entrusting MY money to the government was not a good idea. Unfortunately, there was no box to check for opting out of that program. I was a single parent, working a full-time job and a part-time job in order to survive. And, now, here we are. My country has become something I never thought I’d see. Although, when it was known that chief dumb ass was running for one of the most prestige and important jobs of this country, that nothing would ever, ever be the same if he were elected. And look where we are now.

    • It’s been proven that SS is sustainable if the Republicans would leave it alone and Congress pay back every penny they have stolen.

    • I would think that if everyone paid intoSocial Securityincluding congress and the pro ball players making millions and only paying on about 100000 there would not be any problem as long as congress keeps their hands off of i

    • “views” or “statements”. As he is quoted as saying here, you can’t get elected if you say “cut social security”.

      In my opinion this is another situation that tells us how big a liar trump really is.

    • I suggest you get your facts straight. Social Security is extremely sustainable if polititians will stop stealing from it.

    • I don’t know. There are tricky ways to cut Social Security, like reducing the amount of adjustments for inflation. Taking the cost of housing out of the inflation calculation for COLAs. (Cost Of Living Adjustments). People still get the amount they are promised but then it doesn’t grow adequately. By the time they are 75, many would be in deep poverty. At the same time, food stamp adjustments would also be frozen. This is such a big part of the US economy. Republicans somehow believe that corporate profits drive GDP. Or they just don’t care as long as they fool the people.

    • Problem his followers believe every lie he tells and will still vote for him. Then when elected he will cut it.

    • As long as there is employment social security will be sustainable. The big issue is keeping politicians hands out of the cookie jar because they see it as a never ending source of funds. It’s not that it is unsustainable,it isn’t,but it does need better management of the funds!

  2. What can you expect. All he does is lie. This person is mentally unstable and should be removed from office by Impeachment or the 25th Amendment.

    • 25th Amendment leaves a door open for him to resume the presidency. Full impeachment is the only way to be done with this president.

  3. trump should buy a shovel because he will be digging his grave.somebody who’s terminally ill with month’s or days to live will finish trump off.funny thing is trump really asked for it.

  4. Let him and the GOP members figure out how they could live on S.S. but they won’t have to, we will be taking GOOD care of them in their old age! Something needs to be done about this. They deserve no better than what us.

  5. Let him just try it. We old folks, and supporters, will storm the barricades, string him up by his teeny tiny thumbs, and spit on him.

    • I knew this in May of 2016 and told people as much. No one wanted to believe it. They voted for him anyway. Now as it is coming to pass, they are surprised? Puuuuulleeeeese! Just continue to stick your head in the sand.

      • Thanks I didn’t vote for that scammer! I can’t believe the number of people I know who did! Absolutely shocking. Guess hating Hillary was that strong! Whose sorry now?

  6. Why is it that Trump wishes to harm the average American person who: benefits from Social security and other entitlement programs.

    • Social Security is not an entitlement program it is a program we paid into for 34/45yrs 7%of our monthly salary +the employer paid another 7% for a total of 14%. They need to pay back SS for all the BILLIONS stolen from it over the years.

    • Ted–that is the question I ask every day.WHY is he looking to hurt everybody—-except the people who are very wealthy?? WHY WHY????!!!

  7. Social Security and Medicare is not an entitlement. It is a retirement account we all worked all our lives for and paid into. It is our money. What is a real entitlement is the huge salaries, unlimited credit cards, lavish hotel rooms, expensive dinners and luncheons, limos, health care and ridiculous retirement accounts of all of the do nothing politicians. Let’s talk cutting those instead of the small amounts that retirees are receiving from years of hard work.

  8. Social Security IS NOT an entitlement program. It is an insurance plan we have paid into our entire working lives. Republican liars, thieves, and back stabbed want to steal from us yet again.

  9. Our Social Security is a Earned Benefit. Not a Entitlement, that is what the republicans call it. We paid into it, SS was taken out of our hard earned pay check. I don’t give a shit what the koch brothers said. They can go too Hell. That is our money. If the republicans take it they should be put in jail. for taking our money. PERIOD.

  10. This should have been completely foreseen by everyone, as the Republican party has not authored any socially responsible legislation I.e. social security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc. The Republican party, a Nazi party, remains the party of the super rich and the super rich need slave labor which die quickly when they sicken or age.

  11. Lets slash his pay,benefits and free vacations to his properties. This is not an imperial
    ruler. Treat him like anyone else.

    • They should leave social security disability social security railroadritredmentdisability alone Medicare Medicaid q m b alone we as American citizens worked hard all our lives for some republicans not my president Donald j trump all republicans to cut Medicare Medicaid regular and Medicaid q m b there really mean people should be impeached all republicans my husband and I live off my rsdi until we are fully retiredment thank you

  12. Let it be a lesson for all those supporters of this mad man.
    He left ove 30 million people without insurace
    Has sold our country to the enemy, only to profit his bussines
    Has made the global laughing stock of the great United States of America, yes we are a joke passing our borders
    Now he is going once more against the regular elder citizen, propossing cuts to the S. S. What does he thinks the word moral is?
    (Well he does not have a functional brain, so we also pay for it)

  13. Here he goes again lying after telling EVERYONE on the campaign trail that he was going to keep Social Security and Medicare that they are untouchable. Now he is telling Paul Ryan that Social Security needs to be cut. Lia liar as usual when he is going to start telling the truth maybe he lies so much he does not know what the truth really is.

  14. I’m on SSI and i can’t get all the meds i need because Medicaid decided they not to pay for it any more.my income is $750 a month and i pay $590 a month rent.
    I owe about $1000 because i exceeded my yearly limit. what do i do if they cut even more?

  15. There is a simple solution to fully funding social security. One simple thing. Remove the cap. Right now anyone making under $118k pays on 100% of their salary. These CEOs making millions pay less than 1% of their salaries.

  16. Both dems and republicans have gone to the Social Security well too many times to fund pet projects without a thought of sustainability of the program. Now after a trillion dollar giveaway to the donor class we must correct this by taking more from Social Security by calling it a drain on the economy. What would SS financial positions be if it was never raided.

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