Trump vows to protect seniors from Republicans like Paul Ryan 'disciple' DeSantis
by Katherine Doyle, White House Reporter
March 13, 2023 09:36 PMFormer President Donald Trump vowed to protect seniors from “establishment” Republicans if returned to the White House, attacking a top would-be rival on Social Security and Medicare in his first trip to Iowa of the 2024 campaign.
Trump’s focus on entitlements suggests he believes his populist message lends him an edge over the Republican hopefuls weighing their prospects for the nomination.
In Davenport, Trump likened Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) to the failed GOP 2008 presidential nominee, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), whom he maligned as a member of “the Paul Ryan Republican establishment,” leaning into a distinction that helped propel the former leader to victory in 2016.
While in Congress, DeSantis “wanted to decimate” Social Security, “severely” cut Medicare spending, and lift the retirement age to 70 years old, Trump said on Monday, noting, “Ron was a disciple of Paul Ryan [who] would constantly vote against entitlements.”
Trump added, “You remember … Democrats used that ‘wheelchair over the cliff' commercial? Very effective. That was about him.”
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/trump-seniors-republicans-ryan-desantis