Republican New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday morning that cuts to Social Security should be “on the table.”
However, Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition, told Newsweek via email late Sunday morning that “as President Trump said many times on the campaign trail, there will be NO cuts to Medicare or Social Security, and there will be no tax on Social Security.”
Newsweek emailed Sununu’s office for comment on Sunday morning.
Why It Matters
Nearly 56 million Americans aged 65 and older receive Social Security. While Americans have been contributing to the system for years, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is projected to run out of funds for full payments as early as 2035.
Social Security is a dicey issue on Capitol Hill because lawmakers want to solve the federal program’s insolvency crisis without upsetting their constituents who rely on it.
What To Know
Sununu, who did not seek reelection this year, spoke on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday about what he hopes the government will do to rein in spending under the incoming Trump administration and a Republican-controlled House and Senate.
“What they want to do with their political opportunity and the political momentum of this election is to build something lasting with a balanced budget amendment, taking on, perhaps not tomorrow, but understanding that the challenges of Social Security are real. I mean, everyone’s Social Security benefits are cut by 17 percent—,” he said.
According to Social Security officials, program recipients could lose 17 percent of their benefits by 2035 if no legislative action is taken.
Bash then added, “But Trump has already said he will not touch Social Security.”
“And that is the challenge.” Getting over the political hump. To get people on Capitol Hill to say, “Either we deal with this in a crisis eight years from now, or we deal with it in a more constructive way today,” Sununu stated.
Bash then asked, “So you think the incoming president is wrong when he says that entitlements, such as Medicare and Social Security, which account for the vast majority of the budget, should be on the table?”
Entitlements are government programs that offer benefits to individuals based on their age, income, or disability. Social security and Medicare are entitlements.
“They should be on the table,” the governor said. “It doesn’t mean they don’t have to do it tomorrow.”
Sununu suggested establishing a commission, guidelines, and metrics to address the issue.
“Nobody even wants to touch this ‘third rail,'” declared him. “My argument is…the American people saying, ‘Touch it, do it, fix this thing because we don’t want our benefits cut, we don’t want Medicare to disappear.'”
Sununu has endorsed Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, in the 2024 Republican primary. After Haley dropped out of the race, Sununu, who has previously criticized Trump, announced his support for his presidential campaign.
What People Are Saying
The Republican National Committee (RNC) stated in a pamphlet for the July Republican National Convention that the GOP would “fight for and protect social security and Medicare with no cuts, including no changes to the retirement age.”
Trump told CNBC in a March interview: “So first of all, there is a lot you can do in terms of entitlements in terms of cutting and in terms of also the theft and the bad management of entitlements, tremendous bad management of entitlements.”
Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s campaign spokesperson, told CNN in March that Trump was “clearly talking about cutting waste, not entitlements.”
“President Trump delivered on his promise to protect Social Security and Medicare in his first term, and President Trump will continue to strongly protect Social Security and Medicare in his second term,” said Mrs. Trump.
What Happens Next
Republicans are unlikely to touch Social Security anytime soon. Last week, the Senate passed the Social Security Fairness Act, a bipartisan bill that eliminates benefit caps for people receiving government and public service pensions.
Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky attempted to pass an amendment to the bill that would have gradually raised the retirement age to receive benefits to 70, but it failed 93-3. Paul, along with Republican Senators Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming and Mike Lee of Utah, voted in favor of the amendment.
