Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) said Sunday that former President Donald Trump’s attacks on Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis are making it harder to have a debate about Social Security.
Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Cassidy blamed both Trump and President Joe Biden for “demagoguing” the issue, which has made it difficult for Republicans to talk about reforming the entitlement.
“Joe Biden and former President Trump have the same plan, which is to do nothing on Social Security, and to allow a 24% cut to benefits when the fund goes insolvent in about eight or nine years,” said Cassidy. “It does make it harder. When your leading presidential candidates have made the decision to deceive the American people and to say there isn’t a problem, when every actuary who looks at this says that there is a problem … it makes it very hard when they are so irresponsible. It is true for President Biden. It is true for former President Trump.”
Cassidy touted his proposal to establish a mutual fund apart from Social Security that would help it maintain sustainability. He then blasted political leaders on both sides of the aisle again.
“If one side proposes something, the other side will demagogue it,” he said. “We see Trump and we see Biden demagoguing it now. We need honesty with the American people. But we have a big idea that’ll solve 75% of the problem, and that’s a pretty good idea.”
A super PAC backing Trump has spent millions of dollars on ads attacking DeSantis, according to FEC records. A filing on Friday revealed that Make America Great Again spent $1.5 million for “placed media: TV” opposing DeSantis. The PAC has also released two ads slamming DeSantis for votes to cut Social Security and Medicare while he was in Congress. It cites votes for non-binding resolutions in 2013, 2014, and 2015 while serving in the House that recommended raising the retirement age to 70 and reducing benefits for some.
“The more you learn about DeSantis, the more you see he just doesn’t share our values,” one ad says.
“DeSantis has his dirty fingers all over senior entitlements, like cutting Medicare, slashing Social Security, even raising our retirement age,” says another.
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The ads will run on CNN and Fox News.
Biden has spent months claiming that Congressional Republicans would kill Social Security, attacking Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) in particular over a proposal to sunset all legislation after five years.