Virginia Rep. David Brat said presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump could have a tough time delivering on his pledge to protect entitlements without increasing the national deficit if he is serious about not making any cuts to the programs.
Mr. Brat said there will be some “tension there” when Mr. Trump finds out that in 10 years there will not a dime left to spend on national security and other areas of government.
“When he finds out that there is no money for education, transportation and running government in 10 years, you are going to have to deficit fund the whole government,” Mr. Brat said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Mr. Trump has vowed on the campaign trail to save Social Security and Medicare without making cuts — suggesting robust economic growth could stabilize the programs.
For his part, Mr. Brat, who defeated House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the 2014 GOP primary, has supported raising the retirement age for Social Security recipients.
He said he wants to see Mr. Trump flesh out his policy on entitlements before deciding whether the businessman’s plan is financially sound.
Mr. Brat said Mr. Trump has some wiggle room in that he could clarify that he wants to protect the program for current beneficiaries, while making cost-saving changes overtime.
“If what he means by I am not going to touch them is the standard Republican position that for 10 years everyone is safe, I want to protect it,” Mr. Brat said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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