DeSantis claims Trump is using ‘Democrat attacks’ on Social Security and Medicare

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) blasted former President Donald Trump for using “Democrat attacks” concerning government programs such as Medicare and Social Security.

DeSantis, who is considering a presidential bid in 2024, slammed the onetime president for criticizing his former support of a budget proposal that included raising the age of retirement to 70. DeSantis expressed support for the proposal when he was in Congress.

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“Those are Democrat attacks. I don’t think anyone really buys that,” DeSantis told Newsmax on Friday. “Donald Trump himself wrote a book where he was talking about the need to increase the age of eligibility for Social Security to 70.”

DeSantis added that even though Republicans should be able to discuss programs like Social Security without fear of retribution, Trump took it to a different level by using tactics normally deployed by Democrats.

A super PAC that supports DeSantis used similar language to the governor in an attack ad last month.

“Donald Trump is being attacked by a Democrat prosecutor in New York,” the narrator in the ad says. “So why is he spending millions attacking the Republican governor of Florida? Trump’s stealing pages from the Biden-Pelosi playbook.”

Trump’s reference to the budget proposal dates back to when DeSantis was a congressman. But debates over government spending have revitalized discussions on how important Social Security is, especially following a federal report that claimed funding for Social Security will be depleted by 2034 if it is not fixed.

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When tensions were high following President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, Trump urged both parties not to touch either program.

DeSantis and Trump are considered rivals within the Republican Party, and they are the two front-runners for the GOP nomination for president next year. DeSantis has not declared his candidacy, but a final decision is expected to be announced this summer. Trump announced his bid in November.