Trump's Plan To Defund Medicare And Social Security

Hey seniors (and future seniors)!  Moron vector Donald "COVID Donnie" Trump just said the quiet part loud again:

Another document signed by Trump on Saturday attempts to defer payroll tax payments from September through December for people who earn less than $100,000. The impact of this measure could depend on whether companies decide to comply, as they could be responsible for withdrawing large amounts of money from their employees’ paychecks in a few months when the taxes are due.

The president said that if he wins reelection, he would seek to extend the deferral and somehow “terminate” the taxes that are owed. He also dared presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to try to recoup those tax dollars if elected in November. The payroll tax funds Social Security and Medicare benefits, and it’s unclear where those programs will get funding if the taxes are deferred.  (our emphasis)

But the other "bills"  executive orders  bullshit he signed at his $350,000 membership fee golf club have the mark of a sociopathic moron as well:

[T]here were instant questions about whether Trump’s actions were as ironclad as he made them out to be. A leading national expert on unemployment benefits said one of the actions would not increase federal unemployment benefits at all. Instead, the expert said it would instead create a new program that could take “months” to set up. And Trump’s directive to halt evictions primarily calls for federal agencies to “consider” if they should be stopped.

Trump also mischaracterized the legal stature of the measures, referring to them as “bills.” Congress writes and votes on bills, not the White House. The documents Trump signed on Saturday were a combination of memorandums and an executive order. [snip]

One of the measures Trump signed on Saturday aims to provide $400 in weekly unemployment aid for millions of Americans. Trump said 25 percent of this money would be paid by states, many of which are already dealing with major budget shortfalls. The federal contribution would be redirected from disaster relief money at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Those funds are not likely to last more than two months, and Trump would not say when the benefits would kick in. [snip]

Two of the other executive actions are related to eviction protections and student loan relief. The plan related to housing only makes suggestions to federal agencies but does not halt evictions nationally. The measure on student loans aims to extend the relief granted by Congress in March through the end of the year.  (our emphasis)

If all this sounds like the flim flam associated with his border wall, Trump steaks, Trump University, Trump casinos, etc., etc., you, too, are onto something.  Those bullshit signings were a cover to allow him to pretend he was taking action and to take the heat off him for a few news cycles until the facts eventually caught up.  Then it'll be on to something else.

But the biggest story here remains his intention to starve Social Security and Medicare to death should there be enough low- information voters out there believing in this malignant con man to give him a lifetime hold on the presidency.  We need to make sure he doesn't get away with it.