Donald Trump just handed us an enormous political gift—and if we take advantage, it could end his lead in the race for the White House.

Dear MoveOn member,

Donald Trump just handed us an enormous political gift—and if we take advantage, it could end his lead in the race for the White House.

Trump said he would cut Social Security and Medicare if reelected.1

His campaign immediately realized how damaging his comment was and got Trump to try to walk it back.2 But cuts to Social Security and Medicare are baked into the plans Trump and his MAGA allies have for Trump's second term, in order to give another giant tax cut to the superrich.3

Cutting Social Security is opposed by 85% of voters over 50.4 And when you look at the list of the states with the most voters over 50, it's like a carbon copy of the list of key 2024 election battleground states: Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Hampshire, Wisconsin ….5

If Trump underperforms among seniors in key battleground states by even one or two points, his shot at winning the White House is over. We need to take advantage of this gift now.

Will you chip in $5 a month to help us educate and reach out to voters in key battleground states about Trump's attack on Social Security and Medicare, so they learn about and then are reminded of his shocking plans? This could crush Trump's lead in the 2024 race.

Yes, I'll donate monthly.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

This isn't the first time Trump has signaled that he wants to cut these programs. Remember that Trump's last budget as president would have cut Social Security and Medicare by $1.7 trillion.6 Yes, trillion.

But cutting Social Security is such a politically radioactive idea that, frankly, we can't believe Trump would admit it while campaigning for the White House.

In stark contrast, President Joe Biden has a clear plan to save Social Security by having the superrich—who have become far richer over the past several decades—pay more Social Security taxes.7

To turn Trump's moment of truth about his plans to cut Social Security into an opportunity, we want to make sure that every dime we spend is specifically targeted at the voters who really care about this issue. Television is terrible for that, because if you buy a television ad, you're going to be charged for everyone who might see the ad, whether they are likely to care about the issue or not.

But streaming services and social media are a totally different ballgame. Sites like Facebook allow us to make sure that our ads are reaching the right people in the right states. Do we want to target independent voters who are over 50, live in key battleground states, and always vote? We can order that right up.

Senior citizens vote at a higher rate than any other age group, and they tend to skew Republican. So if you're a Republican candidate trying to win an election, going after their benefits is a pretty bad idea.

Let's put it this way: If you were trying to create an issue designed to peel off Trump voters and swing the voters in key battleground states in the 2024 election, this would be it.

But if we're going to take advantage of this situation, we need to draw attention to it ourselves. The mainstream media for years has given Trump a pass on Social Security and is too distracted by Trump's latest outrage to focus on kitchen-table issues like this one.8

Can you chip in $5 a month to help us get the truth out to voters in battleground states, from now through Election Day, about Trump's plans to cut Social Security and Medicare?

Yes, I'll chip in monthly.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

Thanks for all you do.

–Mohammad, Nakia, Alexis, Rahna, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Trump just opened the door to Social Security cuts. Take him seriously," Vox, March 12, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/188229?t=6&akid=378155%2E40999114%2EVTd1OR

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid.

4. "AARP Survey: Overwhelming Bipartisan Majority Opposes Social Security and Medicare Cuts to Reduce Deficit," AARP, May 26, 2021
https://act.moveon.org/go/188230?t=8&akid=378155%2E40999114%2EVTd1OR

5. "These Are the Youngest States in America," Time, November 6, 2017
https://act.moveon.org/go/117139?t=10&akid=378155%2E40999114%2EVTd1OR

6. "Trump vowed to not cut Social Security and Medicare—hours before proposing just that," Vox, February 10, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/117137?t=12&akid=378155%2E40999114%2EVTd1OR

7. "Trump Wants to Destroy Social Security, But Biden Plan Would Improve and Expand It," Common Dreams, March 18, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/188231?t=14&akid=378155%2E40999114%2EVTd1OR

8. "Mainstream media have no excuse to keep falsely saying Trump opposes cuts to Social Security and Medicare," Media Matters for America, March 11, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/188232?t=16&akid=378155%2E40999114%2EVTd1OR

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