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The Claim: President Donald Trump Promised To ‘terminate’ Social Security If He Is Reelected
Recent posts from Social Security Works a nonprofit focused on expanding Social Security, improving Medicare and lowering the cost of prescription drugs claim that President Donald Trump will end Social Security if he is reelected.
“Donald Trump says he will ‘terminate’ Social Security if reelected,” a post on Monday reads. “A vote for Trump is a vote to destroy our social security system.”
“Millions of seniors and people with disabilities struggle to make ends meet,” another post from the same day reads. “Yet Donald Trump says he will ‘terminate’ Social Security if reelected. That’s a disastrous plan.”
The posts come after Trump signed a series of executive orders on Aug. 8 intended to provide relief from the detrimental economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
More:Trump again threatens executive orders to extend benefits after stimulus talks fall apart
Election : Where Do Trump And Biden Stand On Social Security
The author says that neither presidential candidate appears to have a solid plan to address looming problems with Social Security.
Last May, Rep. John Larson , who chairs the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee, predicted that the economic fall-out of COVID would focus voters on Social Security and pressure Congress to fix the troubled program after decades of inaction. He exclaimed: This is going to get peoples attention!
Larson was talking about the dire predictions that Social Security would shed years of solvency as a result of the economic fall-out of the pandemic.
Wagering on voters, much less Congress, to focus on Social Security is a suckers bet. We have now had 12 debates between candidates who want to be president without a single question about the stability of a program on which millions depend.
In case you missed the important point, let me repeat: the program on which millions depend. Another important point: the passage of time is kryptonite to the program.
COVID alone should produce questions for those who want to be president.
At this point, there is no indication that the candidates are aware of these issues, much less have a response.
Trump doesnt list the issue on his website. Biden, on the other hand, promises to put the program on a path to long-term solvency, but provides no detail on what that path might look like. In a nutshell, voters have no questions, and candidates offer no plans.
Here is the analysis that I have seen:
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Addressing Social Securitys Long
Donald Trump: At a June rally in Phoenix, Trump said: Were going to save your Social Security without killing it like so many people want to do. During the campaign, Trump said something similar: I will do everything within my power not to touch Social Security, to leave it the way it is.
Trump says hed do this by generating more Social Security payroll taxes by bringing back jobs and by getting rid of deficits, waste, fraud and abuse. Steve Bell, a budget expert at the Bipartisan Policy Center, told The Wall Street Journal, however, Any notion of waste, fraud and abuse during our fiscal needs remainssilliness. Trumps comments are just another kick in the stomach to all of us who have worked for more than 30 years for solvency for Social Security.
But Trump left the window open to future reforms in his comments to AARP, saying: As our demography changes, a prudent administration would begin to examine what changes might be necessary for future generations.
Similarly, Trump policy adviser Sam Clovis recently said at the 2016 Fiscal Summit of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation: After the administration has been in place, then we will start to look at all of the programs, including entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare. At that point, Clovis added, Well start taking a hard look at those to start seeing what we can do in a bipartisan way, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Giving Biden The Benefit Of Doubt
From what I have read in the media, Bidens plan calls for the phase-out the wage cap over roughly 25 years as wage-growth closes the hole between middle-class and $400,000. The most chartable examination suggests that this revenue would postpone insolvency by less than a decade, see . That means not spending a penny on expanding the program.
That is as good as it gets.
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Increase Special Minimum Benefit For Americans Whove Worked For 30 Years
If you worked for 30 years, Biden would reportedly offer you a higher benefit thats 125 percent of the federal poverty level. If this had applied to 2019, that means the minimum monthly benefit would be $1,301, up from about $886, Whartons estimates also found. That proposal would also increase benefits between 5 and 50 percent for low earners whove worked anywhere between 10 and 30 years.
The concept is that no one whos worked 30 years should retire into poverty because of the way Social Security is set up, Altman says.
President Trump Wont Destroy Social Securitybut Hes Not Going To Save It
Former Vice President Joe Biden is running campaign ads that claim President Trump signed an executive action directing funding cuts for Social Security and proposed slashing hundreds of billions of dollars from the Social Security Trust Fund every year.
The problem is, however, that this just isnt so.
A Biden campaign TV ad falsely claims that a government analysis of President Donald Trumps planned cuts to Social Security shows that if Trump gets his way, Social Security benefits will run out in just three years from now, says FactCheck.org.
The cliche politics aint beanbag exists for a reason: Campaigns use overhyped rhetoric to distort their opponents positions and make them appear less electable. Seniors should rest easy and understand that their Social Security benefits arent going anywhere.
But this dynamic of misleading charges belies a more fundamental problem: Something will eventually need to be done to buttress Social Securitys finances. Episodes like this dont bode well for future attempts to reform Social Security.
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Fact Check: Trump Falsely Claims 180 Million People Will Lose Health Care If Biden Wins
Trump said Thursday, “We have 180 million people out there that have great private health care far more than what were talking about with Obamacare.”
“Joe Biden is going to terminate all of those policies,” he added.
“Under what he wants to do, which will basically be socialized medicine, he wont even have a choice, they want to terminate 180 million plans,” Trump added.
Trump has made this claim repeatedly, and NBC News has fact checked it repeatedly. This claim is false. It conflates Biden’s plan with those of other Democrats pushing “Medicare for All.”
While estimates vary about how many Americans have private insurance, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates that 180 million people have private insurance.
But Biden’s plan wouldn’t end private insurance, though that was part of some of Biden’s Democratic primary opponents proposals. Instead, Biden’s health care plan would create a public option for those who want to get government health insurance while allowing those with private insurance to stay on their plans.
Many Republicans have sought to tie the proposals for “Medicare for All” to all Democrats and it is true that many Democratic members of Congress are sponsoring the bill . But Biden has criticized “Medicare for All” throughout his campaign.
He Believes That Social Security Policy Changes Will Cost Votes
One of the more interesting aspects of Trump’s views on Social Security is that he’s been willing to state a painful truth about the program to the public. Namely, he realizes that no matter what solution is offered, be it from the Republican Party, Democratic Party, or a middle-ground fix, some group of folks is going to be worse off than they were before. That means fixing Social Security could cost members of the majority party votes and elected seats in upcoming elections.
Here’s what the president had to say about resolving Social Security’s issues in 2013 at the Conservative Political Action Conference:
As Republicans, if you think you are going to change very substantially for the worse Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security in any substantial way, and at the same time you think you are going to win elections, it just really is not going to happen… What we have to do and the way to solve our problems is to build a great economy.
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Fulton County Georgia Criminal Election Influence Investigation
Prosecuting Office: Fulton County, GA District Attorneys Office.
Case Summary: On Feb. 10, 2021, the Fulton County DAs Office opened an investigation into attempted election interference by former President Trump. The investigation is looking into potential violations of Georgia election laws, including the solicitation of election fraud, the making of false statements to state and local governmental bodies, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of oath of office and any involvement in violence or threats related to the elections administration.
Case Status: On Feb. 10, 2021, the Fulton County DAs Office sent letters to Governor Brian Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Duncan, Secretary of State Raffensperger, and Attorney General Carr informing them of the new investigation and requesting that all records relating to the election, including emails sent by employees from non-government accounts, be preserved.
Fulton County DA Fani Willis also reportedly plans to investigate a phone call between Senator Lindsey Graham and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger where Raffensperger claims Graham asked the Secretary of State if he could throw out legally cast ballots. Grahams spokesperson claims that this is not true and Graham was instead asking about the signature verification process. The DAs office is also reportedly looking into whether Rudy Giuliani violated election laws in making false statements to Georgia officials.
The Social Security Payroll Tax
Donald Trump: Hes against raising payroll taxes in general and opposes raising the Social Security payroll tax cap. The Republican Party platform echoes this view: As Republicans, we oppose tax increases.
Hillary Clinton: She would increase Social Security payroll taxes on people earning more than $250,000. And, Clinton told AARP, she favors taxing some income of the highest-income Americans that is not currently taxed.
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Scotland Unexplained Wealth Orders
Plaintiff: Avaaz Foundation against the Scottish Ministers and Others
Case Summary: On February 3, 2021, the Scottish Parliament voted to reject calls from the opposition party, the Scottish Greens, to investigate the Trump Organizations golf courses through an Unexplained Wealth Order . UWOs are a mechanism designed to prevent suspected corrupt foreign officials from laundering potentially stolen funds into the UK. They require an individual or organization to reveal the sources of their unexplained wealth and, while they do not automatically trigger criminal proceedings, they can result at least in confiscation of assets. The concerns that led to the push to investigate Trump arose when Trump spent many hundreds of millions of dollars to purchase and refurbish golf courses within Scotland with all-cash transactions. This was particularly suspicious since Trump had financed large scale purchases with debt prior to these transactions. It is disputed whether Eric Trump made a statement indicating that the funds had come from Russia.
Eric Swalwell Incitement Suit For Jan 6 Riots
Swalwell v. Trump, No 21-cv-00586
Plaintiff: Representative Eric Swalwell
Case Summary: On Mar. 5, 2021, Representative Eric Swalwell sued Donald Trump and several associates in DC federal court over the Jan. 6 riots. Much like Representative Bennie Thompsons related suit, Swalwell alleges that Trump and his co-defendantsDonald Trump Jr., Representative Mo Brooks , and Rudy Giulianiviolated the Ku Klux Klan Act by conspiring to interfere with the Electoral College count on Jan. 6.
Swalwells suit also goes one step further: it claims that the defendants should be held civilly liable for negligence because they committed criminal incitement under DCs local code, which establishes the standard of care. Notably, Swalwell says that Trump violated the same DC code§22-1321that DC AG Karl Racine is apparently focusing on in his own criminal investigation into Trumps conduct.
Beyond the civil rights and incitement counts, Swalwell also claims that the defendants are liable for encouraging the rioters violent conduct and for intentionally inflicting emotional distress on members of Congress in connection with the attack on the Capitol.
Case Status: Swalwell filed his complaint on Mar. 5, 2021.
Update: On May 17, 2021, Giuliani filed a motion to dismiss the claims against him. He argued that his speech did not qualify as incitement, that he never formed a conspiracy with the other defendants or the rioters, and that his speech was ultimately protected by the First Amendment.
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Capitol Police Suit For Jan 6 Riots
Blassingame v. Trump, No. 21-cv-00858
Plaintiff: James Blassingame and Sidney Hemby, two Capitol police officers
Case Summary: On Mar. 30, 2021, two Capitol Police Officers sued Donald Trump for injuries they sustained during the Jan. 6 riots in DC. The officersJames Blassingame and Sidney Hembysay they were maced with bear spray, attacked with fists and flagpoles, and even crushed against a door as they tried to protect the Capitol from pro-Trump intruders.
Much like the other Jan. 6 suits against Trump, the officers pin their injuries on Trumps incendiary rhetoric before and during violence. Both allege that Trump directed the rioters to assault them, aided the rioters in committing those assaults, and negligently incited the riot in violation of DCs public safety codes. Blassingame also accuses Trump of directing intentional infliction of emotional distress, pointing to the racial slurs and taunts that the intruders allegedly hurled at him during the violence.
Case Status: The officers filed their suit in DC federal court on Mar. 30, 2021. On Apr. 28, 2021, the plaintiffs added two new conspiracy claims against Trump, one based on the KKK Act and the other on common law conspiracy. They allege that Trump illegally conspired with the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers to storm the Capitol, which in turn caused the plaintiffs injuries.
Update: Donald Trump filed a motion to dismiss on June 24, 2021.
