Don't be gullible - Trump is lying. AGAIN.
Martin
Burns and Mary Liz
Burns
Time after time, fact-checkers and news outlets have pointed
out that contrary to Trump and Vance’s claims, the “One Big Beautiful Bill”
(OBBB) did not eliminate taxes on Social Security. Most recently, Factcheck.org on December 18 reported that:
Trump called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act he signed in July “perhaps the most sweeping legislation ever passed in Congress” and touted provisions that include “no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security for our great seniors.” (As we have said, fewer seniors would pay taxes on Social Security benefits, but millions of Americans would still have to pay.)
On December 21, Yahoo Finance was quite blunt in assessing Trump’s failure to deliver on his promise to end taxes on Social Security:
Prior to and following his inauguration for a non-consecutive second term, Trump had promised to end the most disliked aspect of Social Security. While his plan received nothing short of thunderous applause and overwhelming support from seniors, he ultimately failed to deliver on his vow when the flagship “big, beautiful bill” was signed into law.
MSN back in July forcefully explained why the
OBBB could not have eliminated taxes on Social Security:
First and foremost, the idea that the megabill eliminates federal taxes on Social Security—a claim Trump has made repeatedly of late—is plainly false. In fact, congressional Republicans relied on the budget reconciliation process to advance the package, and it’s procedurally impossible to change Social Security through this complex process.
Rather, as the New York Times reported, “older
single filers will get the extra $6,000 deduction ($12,000 for couples), as
long as their income falls under a certain ceiling (below $75,000 for single
filers or $150,000 for married joint filers).
Above those income levels, the
deduction begins to decrease, and it goes away once single taxpayers’ income
reaches $175,000 ($250,000 for couples).” What’s more, the deduction benefit
won’t apply for Social Security recipients younger than 65.
Will the Trump administration continue to misrepresent the impact of the OBBB on Social Security? If the past several months is any guide, the answer is an unequivocal yes.
Perhaps the Trump administration, to borrow another pop
cultural reference, is operating on the George Costanza principle. For those
not familiar with the comedy show Seinfeld, Costanza, a hapless
character who constantly misrepresents things, explains that he operates on the
principle that “it’s not a lie if you believe it.”
Martin Burns has worked as a congressional aide, polling analyst, journalist, and lobbyist. He was on the campaign trail for Harris-Walz in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. In addition to Common Dreams, his work has been published by The Hill, Irish Central, and the Byline Times. Martin resides in Washington, DC with his wife, and regular coauthor, Mary Liz. His website is Martinburns.news.
Mary Liz Burns is financial education consultant and content creator focusing on personal finance topics including retirement decisions, maximizing Social Security, and managing debt. She is a certified financial behavior specialist® with an MBA specializing in financial psychology, and is based in Washington, D.C.
