Trump vs. Biden: Where 2024 presidential candidates stand on Social Security, Medicare

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Former U.S. President Donald Trump watches a video of President Joe Biden playing during a rally for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) at the Miami-Dade Country Fair and Exposition on November 6, 2022 in Miami, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images News | Getty Images What we know about Trump's stance on Social Security In interviews during his campaign, Trump has generally rejected the idea of changes to Social Security, which he has said would hurt senior citizens. However, in a Monday interview with CNBC, Trump said that reining in spending on the program could be one way to improve the government's budget. "There is a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting and in terms of also the theft and bad management of entitlements," Trump said. Trump did not elaborate on the potential changes he had in mind. watch now President Biden responded to the interview by posting on X: "Not on my watch." It's not the first time Trump has suggested cuts to Social Security. In 2020, Trump proposed a budget as president that included an estimated $71 billion in cuts to the program, with changes some advocates feared would make it more difficult to stay on disability benefits. Also in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Trump suggested a payroll tax cut aimed at putting more money in workers' paychecks. However, such a policy would reduce the tax income Social Security and Medicare rely on. In recent interviews, Trump has mostly rejected the idea of changing Social Security. "You don't have to touch Social Security," Trump said during a recent Fox News town hall, suggesting other changes could come before cuts that would hurt senior citizens. How Biden aims to strengthen Social Security During the State of the Union on Thursday, President Biden promised to protect both Social Security and Medicare from cuts. "If anyone here tries to cut Social Security or Medicare or raise the retirement age, I will stop them," Biden said, while touting plans to "make the wealthy pay their fair share" through additional payroll taxes on people earning more than $400,000. On Monday, Biden reaffirmed his commitment with the release of a fiscal year 2025 budget proposal that states, "No benefit cuts." "The president opposes policies that cut benefits, as well as proposals to privatize Social Security," the budget states. Instead, the budget calls for extending the solvency of both Social Security and Medicare by requiring high income workers to pay taxes toward the program on more of their income. Biden calls for improving Social Security benefits, as well as Supplemental Security Income benefits, for seniors and people with disabilities, particularly those with low incomes.