Trump promises permanent cut to payroll tax funding Social Security and Medicare if he's reelected

[TomCADem]

Source: Washington Post

President Trump pledged on Saturday to pursue a permanent cut to the payroll taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare if he wins reelection in November, a hard-to-accomplish political gambit that some experts see as a major headache for the future of the country's entitlement programs.

Trump unexpectedly promised the policy action as he signed a directive that aims to help cash-starved Americans amid the coronavirus pandemic. The order allows workers to postpone their payroll tax payments into next year but doesn't absolve their bills outright -- though the president said he would seek to waive what people owe if he prevails on Election Day.

"If I'm victorious on November 3rd, I plan to forgive these taxes and make permanent cuts to the payroll tax," Trump said at a news conference in Bedminster, N.J. "I'm going to make them all permanent."

"In other words, I'll extended beyond the end of the year and terminate the tax," Trump later added. "And so we'll see what happens."

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-promises-permanent-cut-to-payroll-tax-funding-social-security-and-medicare-if-hes-reelected/ar-BB17JIZa?li=BBnb7Kz

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The AARP has come out against Trump's effort to gut social security, but Trump may still be able to capture older white voters by scapegoating minorities and claiming that immigrants are gutting social security even though the exact opposite is true.

https://press.aarp.org/2020-8-8-Statement-on-Payroll-Tax-Suspension-Executive-Order

[div class"excerpt"]WASHINGTON--AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond today made the following statement in response to President Trump's executive order to suspend payroll taxes:

"While we agree that economic help for families impacted by coronavirus is needed, AARP is concerned by the Administration's decision to suspend collection of payroll taxes, including that it won't achieve its stated objective. Many Republicans and Democrats in Congress agree that a payroll tax suspension raises a number of problems - including potentially for employers who will need to repay taxes they have collected from employees but have not been forwarded to the U.S. Treasury. Further, this approach does not provide needed help to families out of work through no fault of their own.

"Social Security is more crucial than ever as Americans face the one-two punch of the coronavirus's health and economic consequences. But, this approach exacerbates people's already-heightened fears and concerns about their financial and retirement security. Social Security's guaranteed benefits are indispensable. Families impacted by coronavirus urgently need help, and we believe bipartisan congressional action on another coronavirus aid bill is the right solution."

[elleng]

1. 'permanent cut to the payroll taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare' sounds pretty good as a

Democratic Presidential calling card to me!

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

38. No it isnt. Democrats WANT Social Security and Medicare. We dont

want it defunded and assets eventually turned over to private interests.

Do try and keep up. Yes there are other taxes that conceivably could be cut to favor middle and working classes, but this aint one of them. Read up on history of social security and why it was structured the way it is - ssa.gov has a section on exactly that .

[elleng]

40. Sorry that I wasn't clear,

WE want it, THEY don't, so their anti-social approach seems like a good way for Dems to make clear that repugs do not favor We the People.

I have kept up, for my entire life.

[HDCowboy]

45. Calling Card Image

[dalton99a]

2. Kick

[Aristus]

3. Promising? Threatening, more like.

I hope people realize the damage this will do to Social Security and Medicare if he gets away with it...

[ProudMNDemocrat]

4. Democrats must run on SAVING these programs...

Any Republican who says they are for the elimination of Social Security and Medicare will have a hard time selling that to their Senior Constituents who rely on these program they have paid into all their working lives. For many Seniors, Social Security is all they have coming in to supplement what little savings they do have.

With the pandemic raging as it is, many Seniors have been laid off from jobs they were working to supplement what retirement money they have coming in. Congress must act to save these programs that were signed into law. I am certain they will.

[SheltieLover]

14. +1,000!

You are absolutely correct!

[riversedge]

32. #1

[bringthePaine]

5. trying weird bribes now, how come times not flying? sheesh...

[AZ8theist]

6. The fucking Nazi MORON TRAITOR can "propose" whatever the hell he wants...

But only Congress makes law.

He's just blowing smoke out of his enormous imbecilic fat ass.

[not fooled]

7. Hello? Anybody home?

Any articles written about red don's plan to destroy Social Security should mention that corporations also get to stop paying their share of the tax--so they would save billions. So it's a twofer--another puke attack on Social Security + donors get a big tax cut.

[Shermann]

30. This appears to be true

This is really an enigma because as I understand it the employer portion of payroll taxes is how state unemployment programs are funded. So the same executive orders which call for states to kick in $100 / month in unemployment benefits also slash the source of funding. Am I missing something?

[Finishline42]

49. Seperate issue

Unemployment insurance that an employer pays is a separate account.

Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA)
This is an employer-only tax that is 6% on the first $7,000 each employee earns per calendar year, which means the maximum amount you'll have to pay per employee is $420 per year.Jul 8, 2020

[SergeStorms]

8. I am SOOOOOO sick...

of people calling Medicare an "entitlement program". My employer and myself paid into that fund my entire working life. When I go to claim that money, all the sudden it becomes a fucking entitlement program?


That's one of those Frank Luntz specials republicans use to lie to the American people using "focus groups" to frame the debate. They use clever words to hide the severe ass whipping you're going to get, and laying the blame on others. I hate these bastards, I really, really, do.

[captain queeg]

9. I hope people see this as what it is

Talking about screwing with SS cost W a re-election. Anyone on or near SS don’t want to see things change. But there are a lot of stupid Americans. Let’s hope not very many

[True Blue American]

10. If the virus does not

Kill the old folks we will starve them to death! So much for all those Villagers out there chanting for Trump!

Are old people that ignorant? This one is not. Republicans have been fighting to kill FDR programs since he created them over Republican objections. If this does not wake them up nothing will!

[jmowreader]

11. I think that was Poppy who did that

W won his reelection campaign.

[captain queeg]

12. You are right. W did win re-election.

I’m trying to remember when the SS issue came up. I’m thinking of where I was working at that time and it was in the early 2000s. So I think it was W, but he dropped the idea once it blew up in his face.

[progree]

19. "Talking about screwing with SS cost W a re-election." - W was president for 8 years

he won his 2nd term election in 2004 (vs. John Kerry). So he didn't lose any election because of it.

He started the "partial privatization" push at the beginning of his second term, but after a year or so he gave up in the face of fierce opposition.

[raging moderate]

20. Social Security and Medicare ARE Entitlement programs.

Last edited Tue Aug 11, 2020, 12:10 PM - Edit history (2)

They are called ENTITLEMENT programs because you truly are ENTITLED to them, and therefore they have your NAME (aka TITLE) on them. That is ALL the word ENTITLEMENT actually means. The modern Republican party is trying to change the meaning of the word "entitlement, " in order to defund entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare. Because the GOP doesn't think that mere peons are ENTITLED to ANYTHING except leftover crumbs. The GOP are sure that, if you think you are ENTITLED to something, then you must surely have an ENTITLEMENT delusion. They are sure that anybody who needs these programs must be stupid or must not have "worked hard," just as they are sure that they themselves must be the only truly "smart" or "hard-working" people. I was amazed that Trump won the election after he announced that, if you are not rich, then your family must not be very smart.

[Newest Reality]

21. Yet another word.

Yet another word that the Right has distorted and confused people about. Changing or reversing meanings over time can really have an impact. It's like Newspeak.

Welfare? It is a good word, but it has been given bad connotations and is frowned upon and degraded now. Our welfare is about faring well or overall well-being and survival.

[Shermann]

31. +1...an entitlement does not necessarily equate to "free stuff" nt

[Harker]

33. Yes.

Being entitled to something isn't the same as inappropriately acting entitled to something to which one is not.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

39. Well actually it IS an entitlement in the true sense of the word ie you paid into it, so

you are ENTITLED. Unlike a welfare program which is welfare, not an "entitlement." Its money from the general revenue thats dispensed at the whim of the congress/president. Too bad so many have bought into the Republican demonization of the word, to the point where even good people like yourself are confused about the true meaning and think its a bad thing.

[ehrnst]

48. It's been used for years to describe programs which citizens *are entitled to*

So, no, it's not "all of the sudden,' and no it's not "a word made up by Luntz and the Republicans."

It doesn't refer to you thinking you are entitled to the payments, It refers to you being entitled to those payements.

entitlement - A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.

https://www.senate.gov/reference/glossary_term/entitlement.htm#:~:text=entitlement%20%2D%20A%20Federal%20program%20or,eligibility%20criteria%20established%20by%20law.&text=Social%20Security%20and%20veterans'%20compensation,are%20examples%20of%20entitlement%20programs.

No need to become enraged.

[padah513]

13. Never thought I'd see the day when any politician

Was stupid enough to touch the SS third rail right before an election, but it's trump using trumpian logic so it's okay. He says he's smarter than a Vulcan, but I wouldn't want to mind-meld with him.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

15. He didn't mention cutting SS. He thinks people can't connect payroll tax with SS.

So, people would welcome his tax cut, without thinking it'll harm SS.

He might be correct. Maybe many won't see the connection.

[Tommymac]

26. The Lincoln Project and other Inet groups need to Educate everyone

On the FACTS of this horrific cut.

[beachbumbob]

17. he is hoping 40 million senior citizens will not connect thedots

[WePurrsevere]

18. A more accurate headline: Trump vows to totally kill Social Security & Medicare if re-elected...

In vowing to end the payroll tax, which funds Social Security and partially funds Medicare, Trump has given notice to the millions of seniors, disabled and veterans that need what they PAID INTO for years to LIVE, that the TrumpliCon party doesn't give a damn about them (or those that aren't eligible YET but are going to be after paying into the system for decades).

Goddess but I hope karma kicks these lying POS TrumpliCons HARD into oblivion this November.

[bucolic_frolic]

22. Breaking fiduciary responsibility

No annuity or insurer would get away with it. Trump shouldn't either.

[turbinetree]

23. This asshole has not paid one dime into SS or Medicare and all of his libertarian assholes

have no plan to help the elderly or the disabled except to take a pay roll tax cut that doesn't do a thing, except hurt those of us that are on SS and Medicare.......................FUCK HIM and that FUCKING HORSE that he rides in on (which is fucking golf cart) right along with his libertarian fuckers, and everyone of the assholes that play golf with him................I paid 52 years into my SS and Medicare to help me when I got old, and this prick should have been thrown into jail years ago............


November 3, 2020 cannot get here fast enough........................

[jmowreader]

25. What I find amazing...

Social Security and Medicare are two of the biggest Third Rail issues in American politics. Trump has gone beyond “touching” it - he’s dancing a jig in seawater-dipped bunny slippers (made out of real bunnies!) on it, and the career politicians in his party aren’t even asking him to wait until after the election to pull that shit. It’s almost like they’re trying to set him up for an extremely hard fall...and the problem (for them) is, this could cost them seats down to dogcatcher level.

[Paul-EM]

27. Privatization obsession

Yet one more example of the right-wing campaign to privatize as much as possible of the public sector.

[CaptYossarian]

28. We'll see...

We'll see if my brother-in law and his wife will remain loyal to Der Fuehrer. They both live on Disability due to severe anxiety and depression..

[EarthFirst]

29. Just like every threat he makes; it's walked back within 24-48 hours...

Knowing that it’s either beyond the scope of Executive authority or simply such a boneheaded idea; that even his own party won’t caucus around the idea...

White House Walks Back ‘Permanent’ Payroll Tax Cut Amid Social Security Concerns

https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2020/08/09/white-house-walks-back-permanent-payroll-tax-cut-amid-social-security-concerns/

[geretogo]

34. You can't cut SS or Medicare . That's our money we payed into both . He can only ROB the money and

give the money to the Oligarchs and himself . May he burn in hell along with his friends .

[Lulu KC]

35. No thanks

And it is sickening how this will be viewed as a money-saver by some.
But not enough!
Go, Joe! You can do it!

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

36. They need to stop calling it "payroll tax". Its specifically FICA tax ie social security &medicare

The Reptilians wont say they're cutting social sec and medicare tax, because that is essentially a
DEFUNDING OF THE PROGRAM. Keep defunding until its history, that's their plan.

Wish the media would stop going along with the Republican word game and use the proper terminology ie FICA tax aka Social Security & Medicare tax.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

37. Going to kill our grandparents

GOP is the death cult

[HDCowboy]

41. Re-elect Me and I will defund Social Security - JPG IMAGE

[Stuart G]

42. ...This is about getting reelected, not telling the truth. Trump really says " It won't happen,

but vote for me anyway. At least I will be happy when I win, and screw you!.."

[HDCowboy]

44. Exactly but it makes the Trump Enablers have a hissy fit!!

Exactly but it makes the Trump Enablers have a hissy fit!!

[HDCowboy]

46. Looks like the White House is now fumbling all over itself trying to walk back his comments......

https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/511218-kudlow-says-trump-did-not-mean-he-was-eliminating-the-social?jwsource=cl&fbclid=IwAR1-4KqfApp7KPzDG_EHTbN_nZC-gvhKVvU710FWjLfb4Z-YkO6OHZu-cFg