Summary
Low-income voters who supported Donald Trump are expressing concerns over potential cuts to government benefits as his administration pushes for aggressive spending reductions.
Trump’s newly announced “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, is tasked with cutting programs, raising fears about impacts on social safety nets.
Trump also plans to shut down the Education Department, impose tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada, and has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health Secretary, signaling a focus on controversial health policies.
Voter anxieties about these shifts are growing.
if people choose to ignore what’s right in front of their face, that’s a choice they made, and are 100% responsible for. i hold them entirely responsible for being so willfully ignorant and motivated by pure hate. i wouldn’t give a shit if their kindergarten-tier irresponsibility didn’t affect everyone and not just them
I can’t count how many times I saw posts on my Facebook feed that said things like “If you or a loved one relies on Social Security be careful who you vote for”. Knowing the people who posted I know they are Trump supporters. I guarantee that when benefits get cut they’ll find some way to blame it on Biden/Harris/Pelosi, etc. They either don’t see it or refuse to see it. Likewise the number of people in my life who expect an economic miracle by the end of February is unbelievable.
I think it’s best to only assign responsibility where it’s due. People can’t just flip a switch and have the education system and their peers no longer be a part of the problem. We’re not going to address systemic issues by only acknowledging individual’s responsibility, especially when they’re part of a system that promotes ignorance.
That said, individuals still do have agency, so they’re certainly not blameless either. But to hold them fully responsible seems counterproductive.