#  Pathetic: Trump Says No to Additional Covid-19 Stimulus Checks, Wants to Cut Social Security Instead

     Details    Jake Johnson   ![logo](https://mail.citywatchla.com//templates/ja_teline_v/images/logo.png)         April 30 2020      [  ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Apr-2020/036j.png)    ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/important-reads/19700-pathetic-trump-says-no-to-additional-covid-19-stimulus-checks-wants-to-cut-social-security-instead)

  [IMPORTANT READS](https://mail.citywatchla.com/important-reads)   - [  Previous Article **Cashing In on Pandemic? Documents Show Lawmakers Made 1,500 Stock Transactions Worth $158 Million as Covid-19 Spread** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19712:cashing-in-on-pandemic-documents-show-lawmakers-made-1-500-stock-transactions-worth-158-million-as-covid-19-spread&catid=9)
- [  Next Article **Quarantined with No Medicine** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19698:quarantined-with-no-medicine&catid=9)

  ###### Typography

- [](# "Smaller Font")  ****Smaller** **Small** **Medium** **Big** **Bigger****  [](# "Bigger Font")
- [](# "Previous Font Style")  ****Default** **Helvetica** **Segoe** **Georgia** **Times****  [](# "Next Font Style")

- [ Reading Mode](# "Reading Mode")

> <a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a>[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
>
>  [Comments](#disqus_thread)

>
>
>
> **SS WATCH--**President Donald Trump on Tuesday expressed opposition to providing additional direct relief payments on top of the $1,200 checks that are slowly trickling out to eligible U.S. households, saying he would instead prefer to slash the tax that funds Social Security and Medicare.

 "Well, I like the idea of payroll tax cuts," Trump said at a press conference when asked about the idea of authorizing another round of direct payments in the next coronavirus stimulus package as [mass layoffs](https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/23/spotlighting-need-response-scale-catastrophe-us-unemployment-claims-hit-265-million) continue.

"A payroll tax cut does nothing for the 26 million who lost their jobs." —Sen. Bernie Sanders.

"I've liked that from the beginning," the president said. "That was a thing that I really would love to see happen. A lot of economists would agree with me. A lot of people agree with me. And I think frankly it's simple, it's not the big distribution, and it would really be an incentive for people to come back to work and for employers to hire."

Watch:

Trump has floated the idea of a payroll tax cut several times in recent weeks—suggesting at [one point earlier this month](https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/08/trump-call-permanent-payroll-tax-cut-code-gutting-social-securitys-dedicated-funding) that the cut should be permanent—even though the move would not provide any relief for the [tens of millions of people](https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/23/spotlighting-need-response-scale-catastrophe-us-unemployment-claims-hit-265-million) who have lost their jobs since mid-March.

"Economists don't actually agree with him," said Justin Wolfers, economics professor at the University of Michigan. "Payroll tax cuts are too slow and poorly targeted."

But a payroll tax cut would advance a [longstanding objective](https://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-mcconnell-social-security-20181019-story.html) of the conservative movement by striking a blow to Social Security and Medicare funding, advocacy groups pointed out. The CARES Act, which Trump signed into law last month, [contained a little-noticed provision](https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/03/23/trap-progressives-sound-alarm-gop-attempts-sneak-attack-social-security-coronavirus) allowing employers to delay payment of the payroll tax for at least the rest of 2020.

"Unlike additional stimulus checks, cutting payroll taxes does nothing to help seniors or the millions of people who just lost their jobs," tweeted Social Security Works. "It does, however, defund Social Security and Medicare—which is why Trump is obsessed with the idea."

The president's opposition to additional direct payments comes as progressive lawmakers and activists are [pushing for](https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/24/we-need-congress-get-grip-democrats-urged-end-delay-fight-hell-covid-19-relief-puts) $2,000 monthly payments to all U.S. households for the duration of the Covid-19 crisis because the initial $1,200—for those [lucky enough to have received it](https://www.propublica.org/article/millions-of-people-face-stimulus-check-delays-for-a-strange-reason-they-are-poor) —was far from sufficient to cover basic expenses.

"Pathetic," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in response to Trump's remarks. "A payroll tax cut does nothing for the 26 million who lost their jobs. With rent due on May 1, we need to provide $2,000 a month to everyone until this crisis is over. If we can bail out corporations, we can make sure everyone has enough to pay for basic necessities."

*(Jake Johnson writes for* [*CommonDreams.org*](https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/29/pathetic-trump-says-no-additional-covid-19-stimulus-checks-backs-cutting-tax-funds) *. . .where this report was first posted.) Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images) Prepped for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.*

  - [  Previous Article **Cashing In on Pandemic? Documents Show Lawmakers Made 1,500 Stock Transactions Worth $158 Million as Covid-19 Spread** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19712:cashing-in-on-pandemic-documents-show-lawmakers-made-1-500-stock-transactions-worth-158-million-as-covid-19-spread&catid=9)
- [  Next Article **Quarantined with No Medicine** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19698:quarantined-with-no-medicine&catid=9)
<div data-id="1" 
	class="eb-inst eb-hide eb-emailform eb-1 eboxContentLocker"
	data-options='{"trigger":"onPageLoad","trigger_selector":"","delay":3000,"early_trigger":true,"scroll_depth":"percentage","scroll_depth_value":80,"firing_frequency":1,"reverse_scroll_close":true,"threshold":0,"close_out_viewport":false,"exit_timer":1000,"idle_time":10000,"close_on_esc":false,"animation_open":"slideInDown","animation_close":"fadeOutDown","animation_duration":400,"disable_page_scroll":true,"test_mode":false,"debug":false,"ga_tracking":true,"ga_tracking_id":"G-P16BQ7X1SW","ga_tracking_event_category":"EngageBox","ga_tracking_event_label":"Box #1 - Global Email Signup Form","auto_focus":false}'
	data-type='popup'
	>

	<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-outside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>
	<div class="eb-dialog eb-formVer" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" id="dialog1" aria-label="dialog1">
		
		<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-inside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>	
		<div class="eb-container">
						<div class="eb-content">
				
<form action="https://citywatchla.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=34d69f33624fd058ee9b56516&amp;id=4bfa422f51&amp;f_id=00d6c2e1f0" class="eb" method="post" id="mcform-1" name="mcform-1" target="_blank">
			<div class="eb-form-header"><p><img src="/images/2023/06/be-a-city-watcher.png" alt="be a city watcher" width="350" height="97" loading="lazy" data-path="local-images:/2023/06/be-a-city-watcher.png"></p>
<p>Sign up to receive our special e-news blasts on Monday and Thursday evenings!</p></div>
	
					<div class="eb-field-row">

			
			
			
			<input class="eb-input" type="email" name="EMAIL"  placeholder="Email address"  id="EMAIL" value="" required>

			
		</div>
										
	<div class="eb-footer">
    	<button class="eb-btn" type="submit" name="subscribe" style="background-color:rgba(93, 183, 93, 1);color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 1)">
    		Sign up    	</button>
    </div>
</form>			</div>
		</div>
	</div>	
</div>
<div data-id="3" 
	class="eb-inst eb-hide eb-yesno eb-3 "
	data-options='{"trigger":"onScrollDepth","trigger_selector":"","delay":0,"early_trigger":false,"scroll_depth":"percentage","scroll_depth_value":80,"firing_frequency":2,"reverse_scroll_close":false,"threshold":0,"close_out_viewport":false,"exit_timer":1000,"idle_time":1000,"close_on_esc":false,"animation_open":"fadeInUp","animation_close":"fadeOut","animation_duration":300,"disable_page_scroll":false,"test_mode":false,"debug":false,"ga_tracking":true,"ga_tracking_id":"G-P16BQ7X1SW","ga_tracking_event_category":"EngageBox","ga_tracking_event_label":"Box #3 - Yes \/ No Donation Popup Box","auto_focus":false}'
	data-type='popup'
	>

	<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-outside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>
	<div class="eb-dialog " role="dialog" aria-modal="true" id="dialog3" aria-label="dialog3">
		
		<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-inside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>	
		<div class="eb-container">
						<div class="eb-content">
				
<div class="ebox-yes-no">
	<div class="ebox-yn-text">
		
		
		<div class="ebox-yn-headline" style="font-size:22px;color:#888888">
			<p>If you only give once a month, would you consider giving to CityWatch?</p>
<p>Your support fuels our mission to promote and facilitate civic engagement and neighborhood empowerment, and to hold area government and its politicians accountable.</p>
<p>Would you like to help? Even if you can only give $5, it will make a difference.</p>		</div>
			</div>
	
	<div class="ebox-ys-buttons" style="font-size: 16px;">
		
<a
					data-ebox-prevent="0"
		data-ebox-cmd="close"
				target="_self"
		href="https://www.citywatchla.com/donate"
		rel="noopener"
	
	
	
	
	class="ebox-ys-btn"
	style="background-color:#2ec664;color:#ffffff;min-width:100px">
	Yes
	</a>
<a
	
	
			data-ebox-cmd="close"
		href="#"
	
	
	class="ebox-ys-btn"
	style="background-color:#ef2345;color:#ffffff;min-width:100px">
	Not Right Now
	</a>	</div>

	</div>			</div>
		</div>
	</div>	
</div>