“President Donald Trump outlined a budget plan this week that steers clear of cuts to Social Security and Medicare. That will not sit well with congressional Republicans and some Trump Cabinet members, who think both programs are pushing the government toward financial collapse and want to shrink them.
Deficit hawks likely will pressure the White House to accept cuts in Social Security and Medicare for future retirees, protecting those already retired or close to it. Their political goal will be to defang public opposition, since younger workers tend not to focus much on retirement when it is several decades away.
But that approach is not going to work. Retirees and their advocacy groups will fiercely resist cutting benefits down the road, because they understand the critical importance of Social Security and Medicare benefits. They also care about the future retirement of their own children. And numerous polls show that the public opposes benefit cuts – a view that is common across all demographic groups and political affiliations.”