Hillary Clinton Says Donald Trump’s Executive Orders Are A ‘Stunt’
Hillary Clinton appeared on MSNBC on Sunday and took aim at Donald Trump’s recent executive orders directed at coronavirus relief as Congress struggles to reach a deal on a new aid package. As reported by Breitbart, Clinton didn’t appear to have faith in the effectiveness of the president’s executive directives.
“It’s a stunt,” she said bluntly.
“There’s no doubt about it. Most likely, as even Republican senators have said, unconstitutional, bypassing Congress, trying to spend money, he has no authority to direct. But it’s also meant to be a big diversion from the hard work the Congress should be engaged in to provide the kind of relief that tens of millions of Americans need.”
The former secretary of state took aim at Trump’s administration for purportedly failing to take the proper steps to take control of the COVID-19 pandemic and noted that the U.S. is still struggling with the unprecedented crisis.
Amid the chaos, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee highlighted that many people are still unemployed, and a significant number of small businesses have been shuttered, both issues she pushed U.S. legislators to address.
Clinton also addressed another concerning issue with Trump’s executive actions.
“Basically, he signaled that he is going after Social Security and Medicare. I don’t know if he understood that. You never know what he knows and doesn’t know about how the government operates.”
According to the 72-year-old former first lady, Trump’s orders are attempting to end the contributions made into Medicaid and Social Security via the payroll tax. She also said his directives were “most likely unconstitutional.”
As reported by The Hill, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden took similar issue with Trump’s recent decisions. According to the former vice president, Trump is waging war on Social Security.
In an email that addressed the president’s recent actions, Biden contrasted the orders with Barack Obama’s 2012 payroll tax plan, which included guarantees and protections that the cuts will be returning to the social insurance program. The candidate claims that the recent actions are acting as a “roadmap” to a larger plan to cut Social Security, which he notes would significantly impact older Americans and those with disabilities.
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow has pushed back against suggestions that Trump is attempting to slash Social Security, The Hill reported. During an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, Kudlow claimed that the president’s claim that the cuts would be “permanent” was a reference to the timeline stretching to the end of the year. The adviser assured that the tax would be forgiven and is not going anywhere.
