In an interview with AARP about how they would improve the lives of the nation’s senior citizens, Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump and Democrat presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, explained specific policies.
The nonpartisan AARP asked the two candidates the same questions and only lightly edited their responses for clarity and length. Following are excerpts from Trump’s and Harris’s responses.
Millions of older Americans are struggling with higher prices on gasoline, rent, and other essentials. If elected, what will you do to combat high prices?
FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: “We’re going to start by drilling and getting oil. I call it ‘drill, baby drill.’ We’re going to start by going in and getting oil because energy prices is what really led to the problem of inflation, which is a massive problem. It’s much higher than they’re actually saying.
“It was all started by two things: overspending by the government needlessly, and also, and very importantly, the tremendous cost of energy. I think I’ll be able to bring the cost of energy down better than half within the first 12 to 17 months of my administration. If I do that, prices are going to be coming down very substantially.”
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: “It’s my day one priority, which is to build up the middle class and build up our seniors. My approach is very practical, and I think very commonsense.
“In terms of the price of groceries, one of the issues that we’ve seen is price gouging [on] the cost of everyday essentials, including groceries, and going after people who are in desperate situations created by an emergency. I’m going to go after that.”
The Social Security trust fund is expected to see a shortfall in about 10 years. If elected, how will you protect Social Security for the future?
TRUMP: “We’ll protect it with growth. I don’t want to do anything having to do with increasing [the full retirement] age. I won’t do that.
“We’re going to protect it through strengthening our country through tremendous growth, from a business standpoint and a commonsense standpoint.”
HARRIS: “I will make sure the resources and the benefits in the Social Security program are there for seniors by making billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share in taxes, and use that money to protect and strengthen Social Security for the long haul.”
AARP research shows that 48 million American family caregivers provide $600 billion in unpaid care each year, helping loved ones live independently in their homes rather than in costly nursing homes. If elected, how will you support family caregivers, many of whom are juggling work and family?
TRUMP: “We’re going to do something to help these people financially. They have been unbelievable, just extraordinary people. In many ways, they’re angels. We’re going to have various plans coming in, and you’re going to be the first to hear the plans. It’s unfair to people, very unfair.”
HARRIS: “We need to make sure that they receive the dignity in the workplace and in their wages that they deserve because this is essential, critical work. I’m proud that our administration took action to support family caregivers, including offering short-term help to give a primary family caregiver a break, and also providing a better hospital discharge process.
“It’s personal for me. I helped care for my mother when she was battling cancer. I have learned over many, many years of experience to deeply admire and respect the work that caregivers do. Their work is physical. It is mental. It is emotional. Frankly, I think caregivers really do God’s work.”
Millions of American workers have no way to save for retirement through their employers. If elected, what steps will you take to help American workers save for retirement?
TRUMP: “The sad part is with Biden, inflation has been devastating. With me, people were saving because they had low interest rates and no inflation. Don’t forget, I had low interest rates and essentially no inflation. [Now], they have high interest rates and the worst inflation we’ve ever had.
“The people who did it right by saving got killed by inflation.
“We’re going to eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits, which is a big deal. You know they pay tax on this small amount of money relative to what they’re getting, and yet inflation has destroyed them. Very unfair. So, we’re going to have no tax on Social Security for seniors.”
HARRIS: “Well, it starts with making sure that we protect Social Security, knowing that for our seniors, that is their only source of income. The work that I’ve done over my career has also been to protect pensions, to make sure that those benefits are secure and that they are guaranteed.”
If elected, what will you do to bring down the prices of prescription drugs?
TRUMP: “As a result of the aggressive actions I took during my first year in the White House, drug prices declined more than they had in half a century in 2018 alone. I was proud to institute rules giving seniors $35 EpiPens and insulin, allowing prescription drugs to be imported from Canada for the first time, and took steps to ensure that Americans would not pay more than wealthy Europeans for the same drugs.
“When reelected as president, I will continue my efforts to protect Americans from unaffordable drug prices and ensure seniors are protected from the massive Medicare premium increases resulting from the Biden-Harris Inflation Reduction Act. I will keep any drug savings in Medicare, and I will finish what we started in my first term.”
HARRIS: “A big piece of it is allowing Medicare to negotiate the prices, just having the willingness and the courage, frankly, to take on Big Pharma, which I have done in my career, both when I was attorney general for two terms and now as vice president.
“Prescription drugs don’t have to be as expensive as they are. The prices are based on a design that we’ve had in our country that protects Big Parma and allows them to put profit over what’s in the people’s best interest.”
Americans over the age of 50 continue to pay the highest healthcare costs. If elected, how would you ensure that older Americans have access to affordable healthcare?
TRUMP: “We are going to make sure that Americans are able to work [to access healthcare]. But we’re going to make sure that they’re not going to have to work.
“The fact is, [many] really don’t want to retire. So we’re going to incentivize people if they want to go into the workforce. But [if not], we’re going to take care of them.”
HARRIS: “A big part of access is affordability, bringing down the cost of prescription drugs, including seniors. My plan in terms of helping seniors under the age of 65 includes to save on average as much as $800 a year on premiums.
“Also, medical debt has been a big area of focus for me. Eliminating medical debt from credit scores can be the difference whether a senior or anyone could get a lease on an apartment, mush less all the other things they need access to.”
If elected, what is the most important thing that you could do to help improve the lives of older Americans?
TRUMP: “The biggest thing I can tell you is let people know loud and clear that Social Security is not changing, make sure that there is no tax on Social Security benefits, and reduce taxes. The taxes that we’ve been able to cut have been the largest tax cut in the history of our country. We still have a ways to go.
“We are going to create energy like nobody has ever seen in this country and make sure our seniors are taken care of 100%.”
HARRIS: “My day one priority is to make sure that people are able to live with dignity and have the care that they deserve. Doing the work that I’ve done my whole career, [which is] to stand up for the rights of older Americans, to deal with cases of elder abuse, as well as lift up their ability to have a good quality of life — including bringing down the cost of prescription drugs and paying attention to affordable housing. Part of my plan is to build 3 million more affordable housing units before the end of my term.”