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We allowed the candidates to present their views and positions without commenting on the accuracy of their claims.
The interviews were edited for clarity and length.
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If reelected, how will you ensure that Social Security benefits are not cut?
Social Security
TRUMP:We’ll never cut Social Security, and you might rely on that.
One thing you need is a strong country.
We had a really strong country until we had the pandemic, the China virus.
Right now, we’re coming back.
I’m looking at numbers now that look like the best quarter ever in terms of hiring people.
I will tell you that we will never cut our Social Security.
We will guard it with everything we have.
You have said you would like to terminate the payroll tax if you win reelection.
As you know, payroll taxes fund Social Security and Medicare.
How would you finance these programs without payroll taxes?
More than half of all retired Americans rely on Social Security for at least half of their income.
If elected, how will you ensure that Social Security benefits are not cut?
BIDEN:First of all, by making sure that President Trump doesn’t get reelected.
Social Security’s actuary predicted that would end Social Security by mid-2023.
I will strengthen it.
BIDEN:Yes, that’s right.
We could easily do this.
It solves a gigantic social problem and it gives absolute assurance.
There are ways to pay for it just by being fair.
It’s time that people start paying their fair share.
We’re not punishing anybody.
Medicare/Prescription Drugs
Its a rigged system against the customer.
If reelected, how will you protect Medicare from benefit cuts, and how can the program be improved?
As you know, I just signed executive orders to get it done.
That’s the first time in 51 years that the cost of drugs went down.
Through executive orders, I’ve instituted favored nations [deals] and also buying from other countries.
Germany gets a tremendous deal and so do many other countries, except us.
We’re the only ones that don’t.
Now I’m taking a lot of heat.
Big pharma is not happy.
But this will be the greatest price reduction in drugs in the history of our country.
How will you take it from executive orders to actually implementing a program like this?
TRUMP:It will be very hard to [undo the executive orders].
I don’t think that’s going to be politically viable once we do this.
I’m not dealing with Congress on it.
In fact, I will tell you that a lot of congressmen and senators are not happy with it ….
But I felt I had an obligation to do it.
I understand the system, and it’s a rigged system.
It’s a rigged system against the customer.
What do you think could be done to make it even better for older Americans?
TRUMP:Management can be improved.
By the way, [Medicare] Part D premiums are lower by around 12 percent.
What that will do is actually destroy Medicare.
It will ruin coverage.
It’s a disaster.
It’s a very dangerous thing they’re playing with.
BIDEN:Medicare is a lifeline for around 60 million Americans.
Under the Affordable Care Act, we made sure that we strengthened Medicare.
We extended the life of the Medicare trust fund by bending the cost curve.
For me, preserving and defending Medicare is a sacred trust between our seniors and our government.
We’ve got to give Medicare the power, for example, to negotiate drug prices.
Trump said he was going to do that.
The Democratic Congress passed a bill for Medicare to negotiate drugs prices, and what did he do?
He came out against it.
I feel very passionate about this, as you might tell.
There is a lot we can, and we must, do!
I’m assuming that is a guarantee against Medicare for All or other single-payer systems encroaching on it.
