Overview

• Trump suggested he was open to cutting Social Security and Medicare, sparking immediate backlash and prompting his campaign to claim he was referring to 'cutting waste'.
• President Joe Biden's reelection campaign released a digital ad highlighting Trump's comments, contrasting them with Biden's pledge to protect these programs.
• Advocacy groups and politicians, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, criticized Trump's comments, emphasizing the importance of Social Security and Medicare to seniors.
• The Social Security and Medicare Trustees report warns that the Social Security retirement fund could run out of money by 2033 without major changes.
• Opinion pieces and analyses suggest that Trump's past actions and statements indicate a willingness to cut social-insurance programs, despite his campaign's clarifications.