The Daily Populous Saturday December 7th, 2024 morning edition
Authored by azcentral.com and submitted by plz-let-me-in

Here’s the thing about billionaires like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

They don’t need Medicaid or Medicare, either.

Because Elon and Vivek, who are running Trump’s phony-baloney made up “Department of Government Efficiency” want to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget, something that cannot be done without cutting a huge hole in the Social Security safety net.

Social Security 'an outdated system' is 'interesting' to Musk

Not long ago, Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee posted a long tweet calling Social Security “a classic bait and switch” and “an outdated, mismanaged system.”

Musk, in his sly way, retweeted Lee’s screed with a cryptic little message reading, “interesting thread.”

What’s also interesting – and also something that billionaires don’t have to worry about – is that in a poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research 79% of Americans said they oppose reducing Social Security benefits, while 67% were against raising monthly premiums for Medicare.

Which means that Elon and Vivek, who don’t answer to voters, will have to make the case for their big, ugly cuts to Republicans in Congress – who do answer to voters.

Donald Trump would never, ever break a promise, would he?

Because Congress makes the budget, not Elon and Vivek.

Or as crusty old conservative Washington Post columnist George Will said in a TV interview on Thursday, “They are an advisory committee with no formal power. My column periodically advocates cutting certain items from the budget. My column has as much power as that committee is going to have.”

Not exactly. Trump created the phony “Department of Government Efficiency,” after all, and anointed Elon and Vivek to lead the charge.

Trump also has promised, again and again, to protect Social Security.

And he would never, ever (Mexico will pay for the wall) break and often repeated promise, would he?

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angelhastherage on December 6th, 2024 at 19:24 UTC »

Imagine being so rich you could solve hunger and homelessness on your own but you'd rather take things away from people instead.

goodtimesinchino on December 6th, 2024 at 19:11 UTC »

My retired MAGA parents just don’t believe it. They won’t even talk about it. If it happens there will be so many life lessons to be learned, if they live long enough.

Wonderful-Variation on December 6th, 2024 at 18:50 UTC »

Genuinely, what motivates people who already have more money than most people could ever acquire in dozens of lifetimes to do this? Why?