Paul Ryan griped that Trump didn't pursue cuts to Medicare and other safety-net programs since they were too unpopular

Business Insider ^ | 4/27/2022 | Joseph Zeballos-Roig

[NeverCheney]

Former House Speaker Paul Ryan complained that Trump didn't act on a top conservative priority.

"He and I fought about Medicare and entitlement reform all the time," Ryan said Wednesday.

Trump largely ditched the GOP goal of safety-net cuts, but some conservatives still float the move.

Paul Ryan has one big complaint about former President Donald Trump: He wasn't willing to pursue cuts to the safety-net programs Ryan had championed for years.

"He and I fought about Medicare and entitlement reform all the time," the former GOP House speaker said Wednesday at a book event at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. "It became clear to me there was no way he wanted to embrace that."

Ryan, now a visiting fellow at AEI, added: "It wasn't popular in his mind, and therefore it wasn't going to be pursued. That was always really frustrating to me."

Ryan was later asked about the unpopularity among voters of cuts Social Security and Medicare, a pair of safety-net programs that provide health and retirement benefits to older Americans. Conservatives like Ryan had long proposed shrinking federal spending on the programs by taking steps like raising the retirement age or privatizing large parts of them.

He defended the ideas and labeled them "radical pragmatism."

[Reily]

In 1940 there were 195.4 workers paying in per retiree.
In 2013 its 2.8 workers per retiree today about 2.4.
Here’s data from the SSA website.

https://www.ssa.gov/history/ratios.html

It’s a Ponzi scheme. They do not end well.

Also, what you’ve paid in. You own nothing of it!
There’s been several federal an USSC cases stating this.
You have no asset claim in the money. If you did you could include it in your estate.

[DoughtyOne]

Then why didn’t he submit legislation?

Get Trump on record objecting...

[lewislynn]

Pushing entitlement reform was indeed one thing Paul Ryan got right and Trump steadfastly opposed from day one...openly.

Says you.

Trump opposed it because he knows Ryan can't be trusted with anything with the words "entitlement" and "reform".

BTW, Paul Ryan AKA Fox News resident never-Trumper Board Of Directors.

Never forget:
In spite of Paul Ryan, Trump accomplished more in one term than any other President in your lifetime...Including Reagan.

[Observator]

Many and probably most Freepers are on Social Security and Medicare, or are getting close. I wonder, how do Freepers feel about cuts to these so-called “safety net” programs? We paid into S/S and Medicare for close to 50 years. Do we really support cuts to programs that we paid for and planned to receive in our old age? Are we being selfish by expecting our promised benefits? I sure don’t think so.

Good post. I think there's a middle ground with some of what Ryan is saying, especially an ability to opt in to some SS direct investment.

But cutting programs that many people rely on and pay into is a stupid political position, which President Trump recognizes.

[Observator]

In spite of Paul Ryan, Trump accomplished more in one term than any other President in your lifetime...Including Reagan.

That's right. Trump accomplished amazing things on both small and large scales. On the critical points:

• He built the Wall, and Mexico IS paying for it in drug profits retained in American pockets.
• President Trump effectively ended Obamacare when the repealed the individual mandate. He (and Paul Ryan) would have passed the greatest health care law ever (AHCA), but John McCain ruined it.
• Historical summit and detente with N. Korea.
• A deeper bond with Russia than any President in recent times.
• President Trump delivered an imperfect but still life-saving Vacine to the US in Warp Speed.
• Despite coming into office facing record deficts, President Trump had us on track to a balanced budget in '24 until Brandon screwed it up.

Promises made, promises kept!

[Varsity Flight]

Honor the contract.

Trump for the regular guy and gal.

Ryan. Dishonor the contract.

[Dr. Franklin]

Trump wouldn’t cut Social Security benefits, but did veto a Defense spending bill, which was overridden bipartisanly. Ordinary Americans understand what that means about Trump’s values vs. the DC Swamp.