Trump extends Biden entitlements olive branch in debt ceiling fight
Christian Datoc
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Former President Donald Trump warned Republican lawmakers not to target Medicare and Social Security in their escalating fight over the debt ceiling, at least partially aligning himself with President Joe Biden and Democrats in the process.
Some Republicans have suggested revamping the entitlement programs as a means of balancing the federal budget, and Biden in particular warned in 2022 that the GOP winning majorities in the midterm elections would put both programs on the chopping block.
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“Under no circumstances should Republicans vote to cut a single penny from Medicare or Social Security,” Trump said in a video previewed by Politico on Friday. “Cut waste, fraud, and abuse everywhere that we can find it, and there is plenty of it. … But do not cut the benefits our seniors worked for and paid for their entire lives. Save Social Security. Don’t destroy it.”
Trump has long opposed proposed cuts to Social Security and instead suggested Republicans aim to eliminate “left-wing gender programs from our military,” foreign aid, and “billions being spent on climate extremism.”
The former president is in the process of booting up his 2024 White House bid and has made similar proclamations in videos distributed to media outlets and later posted to Truth Social.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment on Trump’s position but has remained adamant in recent days that it would not negotiate with “hard-line MAGA” Republicans on the issue, even as the country surpassed the $31.4 trillion debt limit this week.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen introduced extraordinary measures to ensure the United States meets its financial obligations, but those measures will expire this summer, forcing the country into default if a debt agreement is not reached.
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White House spokesman Andrew Bates previously told the Washington Examiner that “default would needlessly plunge the country into economic chaos, collapse, and catastrophe while giving our competitors like China a historic boost against us.”
“This president and the American people will not stand for unprecedented economic vandalism,” he said in a statement. “Full stop.”