Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is causing concern around Washington for his latest comments concerning Social Security.
According to reporter John Harwood from CNBC, Mnuchin told the House Appropriations Committee that Trump wouldn’t support slashing Social Security right “now,” and even suggested that Republicans could move forward with cuts on their own.
That’s not exactly the right message to be sending, especially since Trump has already broken his promise of not cutting Medicaid. Trump’s budget proposal calls for $1.4 trillion in cuts to the program over 10 years, despite saying on the campaign trail that he would oppose such cuts.
“I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican,” Trump said just before entering the presidential race. “I have a big heart.”
But, here’s the thing: even though Trump hasn’t cut Social Security as a whole yet, Trump’s budget does cut some $70 billion from Social Security disability benefits. Over 10 million Americans rely on this. Those cuts are even expected to hit his own supporters.
If Trump has already gone back on his promise not to mess with Medicaid, he can do the same thing with Social Security. Mnuchin’s comments don’t provide any reassurance given these latest developments. Republicans are seething at the mouth to get rid of Social Security as it currently exists.
