At a Team Trump event in Keene, New Hampshire, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) told The Epoch Times that former President Donald J. Trump could address the looming projected insolvency of the Social Security Trust Fund in large part by stimulating the economy.
“If we have sufficient growth in our economy, we’ll be able to meet our needs,” the lawmaker said.
“She has a hit on Social Security, and she wants to raise the age very substantially. You don’t need that. We don’t want to do that. And we have that liquid gold. We don’t have to do that to our seniors. You earned it,” President Trump said in New Hampshire.
“The other thing is we have to reduce spending in the non-defense discretionary line items by substantial amounts,” Mr. Gaetz said.
Such programs include Department of Education spending as well as other non-defense federal programs aside from Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
“Now, that alone won’t deal with the amount of liabilities we have in Social Security. But there are other places of mandatory spending where the president does seek reduction, Medicaid, for example. President Trump strongly backs sending more Medicaid dollars to the states,” he continued.
The lawmaker, who took part in last autumn’s congressional hearing on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), also weighed in on that topic and whether the American people would get a fuller explanation during a second Trump administration.
“President Trump always favors disclosure. I haven’t specifically talked to him about UAPs. But typically, he’s somebody who believes we ought to get more in front of the people because he’s a populist,” Mr. Gaetz said.
Mr. Gaetz also commented on President Joe Biden’s absence from the Democratic primary ballot in the Granite State.
“Honestly, the energy on the Democratic side seems to be with Dean Phillips,” Mr. Gaetz said, saying the congressman from Minnesota had mounted “kind of an innovative, spunky little campaign.”
‘I’m That American Dream Guy’
Mr. Gaetz spoke at Tempesta’s Restaurant soon after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he was suspending his campaign and endorsed President Trump.“Welcome home, Ron,” he said, saying MAGA “would be honored to count you among our legion.”
One man who was especially delighted to learn the news was Jimmy Tempesta, the founder and owner of Tempesta’s.
“He did not!” Mr. Tempesta said in disbelief when The Epoch Times revealed it to him. He then suggested that Mr. DeSantis ought to have done it right after the Iowa caucuses like Vivek Ramaswamy di, and as he believes Ms. Haley should have.
“All three of them should have just said, ‘All right, the people spoke,’” the restauranteur said.
Mr. Tempesta, originally from Boston, told The Epoch Times that his establishment started three decades ago.
“I started in ’94, in a little tiny restaurant, and I’ve been at this location for four years now. I’ve kept getting bigger and bigger,” he said.
“I am that American Dream guy that you hear about,” he added.
Mr. Tempesta has hosted everyone from Ms. Haley and Mr. DeSantis to former Vice President Mike Pence. But so far, the main man in American political life hasn’t crossed the threshold. Mr. Tempesta said he prays for President Trump to visit someday.
“I know it’s small, but he’s for small people,” he said.
