Former Arizona Republican financial analyst and party consultant who has worked on behalf of several high-ranking GOP party leaders told Northeast Valley News on the condition of anonymity Monday that Social Security and Medicare cuts, “Will absolutely happen under Trump/Vance and the GOP.”

“This is what they have been salivating over for years—major cuts to Social Security and Medicare. The truth is, Republicans have wanted to eliminate both programs for decades but the move has been so far removed from the advice of both financial experts and political strategists and seen as a catastrophic decision that would shake American financial stability and threaten the GOP. Under Trump, major cuts are not only possible— but probable,” says the former Arizona Republican financial analyst. 

Democrats and now many Republicans, including the finance analyst who spoke with Northeast Valley News have placed their confidence in Harris and are no longer voting strict party but voting “country over party” highlight the flip-flop of public statements that former president Donald Trump has said with regard to Social Security and Medicare —especially in the recent build up to the election. 

“It’s not a question of—if— but how soon cuts will be executed to Social Security and Medicare under Donald Trump,” 

As recent as last spring Trump suggested that the oldest government investment promise to seniors could be on the line for “cutting’ and he was open to looking at its management and possible investment options—a very unpopular notion among seniors.

Since President Biden stepped away from the 2024 presidential ticket and Harris became the nominee, Trump has ramped up his rhetoric to seniors, particularly in swing states like Arizona with fresh promises to “protect” Social Security and Medicare. Beyond television and social media advertisements, Trump’s aim at senior citizens have shown up in the form of mailers sent to the homes of elder Arizonans across the state.

“It’s funny, because we got at least two large mailers in the past few weeks from Donald Trump that said he wouldn’t cut Social Security—but he doesn’t say how he would protect it or that he won’t “invest” our savings elsewhere…so I’m banking on Trump investing the whole program or just wiping it out completely if he gets elected,” says retired engineer Stan Thomas of Surprise.

Even though Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans have begun to publicly back-peddle and even go silent on previous statements with regard to Social Security and Medicare cuts—Trump’s own statement in March said he was open to cutting Social Security and Medicare and stated, “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.”

Reportedly, Trump has recently been saying he would cut taxes on Social Security— but the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget broadly criticizes the plan saying it would effectively be a quick start to Social Security and Medicare running out of money and would effectively become insolvent by 2032, sooner than projected under the current rules and Medicare by 2030 at least six years sooner.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget says both programs (Social Security and Medicare) under Trump’s plan will reach insolvency sooner.

Harris pledged to protect and retain Social Security and points to the Biden/Harris ticket on which she highlights finding additional funding to even grow the program.

The Biden-Harris administration said it would “increase Social Security funding by 9% from the 2023 enacted level.” 

Tax experts have broadly criticized Trump’s proposal. The (CRFB) Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget projecting that exempting taxes on benefits would result in Social Security and Medicare receiving $1.6 trillion less in revenue between 2026 and 2035 than if the current rules stayed in place.

Then there’s the much publicized, on the record statements from Trump MAGA Republicans, on the need to cut Social Security “entitlement” programs, though they have largely remained silent on the topic in the lead up to Nov. 5 presidential election where literature and ads have been circulating from Trump.