‘Please Take Care of Us’: Low-Income Trump Voters Fear Cuts to Crucial Benefits
By Jake Beardslee ·
December 27, 2024
Low-income voters who supported Donald Trump in the recent election are voicing their concerns, urging the president-elect to protect crucial benefits like Social Security and Medicare. While Trump has repeatedly claimed he intends to safeguard these programs, his plans for budget cuts, paired with a cabinet filled with billionaires and a Congress leaning toward fiscal conservatism, leave many supporters uneasy. Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Lori Mosura, a Pennsylvania voter living below the poverty line, emphasized Trump’s appeal as someone "more attuned to the needs of everyone instead of just the rich," in a Washington Post interview. Mosura, who relies on $1,200 a month from Social Security and food stamps, delivered a heartfelt plea: “We helped get you in office; please take care of us. Please don’t cut the things that help the most vulnerable.” Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel part of the USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
However, Trump’s recent decisions—such as enlisting billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to spearhead government spending reductions—have raised concerns among experts that safety net programs might face significant cuts. These programs account for nearly half of the federal budget. Justin Pacheco / Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia
Despite these fears, some Trump voters, like Steve Tillia, remain optimistic. Tillia, who depends on $1,900 in monthly benefits, believes that streamlining government operations rather than slashing program funding could enhance efficiency. “It’s not cutting government programs, it’s cutting the amount of people needed to run a program,” Tillia told the Post. Mandi Wright / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Local Republican officials are also advocating for caution.Chris Frye, City Administrator of New Castle, Pennsylvania, warned against drastic changes, telling the Post, “I think it would be stupid to just take something away… we would have mass chaos. Mass homelessness.” National Center for Public Policy Research
