Can Trump Be Social Security's Savior?

Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump does not receive a lot of praise from Democrats. However, one columnist believes that Trump is a key reason why one of the Democrats' favorite programs will be preserved.

In every Presidential election cycle elder law advocates are anxious about what the candidates might do about Social Security should they be elected. The conventional wisdom is that Democrats will preserve the program or even expand it. In contrast, the same conventional wisdom holds that Republicans will cut benefits or even seek to privatize it.

Of course, in reality the divide is not that sharp as many Republican Presidents have been elected since Social Security was enacted and the program is still around. At the same time Democrat Presidents have been willing to consider cutting benefits, including President Obama.

Elder law advocates are particularly anxious this year as recent Republican budget proposals have included Social Security benefit cuts and without changes to the program it will eventually run out of money to meet obligations.

One Next Avenue columnist, however, finds hope in what might be an unlikely place, which he wrote about in "Why Social Security Benefits Won't Be Cut."

One Republican Presidential candidate has stated that any cuts to Social Security benefits are completely off the table and he happens to also be the current frontrunner for the nomination, Donald Trump.

The theory is not that Trump will win the election and be personally responsible for preserving Social Security. Instead the theory is that his position indicates a shift in the thinking of Republican voters.

It may now be true that voters for both political parties agree that Social Security benefits should not be reduced. If that is the case, then it remains to be seen if more politicians on both sides of the aisle agree with those voters.

Reference: Next Avenue (April 15, 2016) "Why Social Security Benefits Won't Be Cut."

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