Purple background with Fox News logo and scissors cutting up Social Security and Medicare forms

Molly Butler / Media Matters 

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Right-wing media are coming for your retirement

Trump and conservative media have repeatedly called for cutting Social Security or raising the retirement age

Written by Zachary Pleat

Research contributions from Eric Kleefeld

Published

Conservative media have recently renewed a decadeslong assault on retirement benefits programs like Social Security and Medicare, specifically suggesting that the retirement age for Social Security eligibility, which was already increased from 65 to 67 for many Americans, should be raised even higher.

This right-wing attack on Social Security benefits coincides with former President Donald Trump suggesting during a recent CNBC interview that he may consider cuts to the program — a proposal he included in every White House budget produced during his presidency.

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  • Multiple conservative media personalities called for raising the Social Security retirement age, cutting the program, or attacked it and its defenders

    • Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro: “No one in the United States should be retiring at 65 years old.” On his show, Shapiro said: “Frankly, I think retirement itself is a stupid idea unless you have some sort of health problem. Everybody that I know who is — who is elderly, who has retired, is dead within five years. And if you talk to people who are elderly and they lose their purpose in life by losing their job and they stop working, things go to hell in a handbasket real quick.” [The Daily Wire, The Ben Shapiro Show, 3/12/24]

  • From the March 12, 2024, edition of The Daily Wire's The Ben Shapiro Show

    BEN SHAPIRO (HOST): And let's be real about this - it's insane that we haven't raised the retirement age in the United States. It's totally crazy. Joe Biden -- if that were the case, Joe Biden should not be running for president. OK? Joe Biden is 81 years old. The retirement age in the United States, at which you start to receive Social Security and you are eligible for Medicare, is 65. Joe Biden has technically been eligible for Social Security and Medicare for 16 years, and he wants to continue in office until he is 86, which is 19 years past when he would be eligible for retirement. No one in the United States should be retiring at 65 years old. Frankly, I think retirement itself is a stupid idea unless you have some sort of health problem. Everybody that I know who is -- who is elderly, who has retired, is dead within five years. And if you talk to people who are elderly and they lose their purpose in life by losing their job and they stop working, things go to hell in a handbasket real quick.

    But put all of that aside, just on a fiscal level and on a logical level, when Franklin Delano Roosevelt established 65 as the retirement age, the average life expectancy in the United States was 63 years old. Today, the average life expectancy in the United States is close to 80. It's totally insane that you believe that you should be able to work from the time that you are essentially 20 to the time that you are 65 -- which is a 45 year period -- pay in, and then you'll receive Social Security benefits sufficient to support you and your family, you and your wife or whatever, for, like, another 20 years. That's crazy talk. That is not fiscally sustainable. The notion that if you have to raise the retirement age to 67 or 68, that everyone is gonna fall apart -- my parents are that age. My parents are not retired, and they shouldn't retire. It would be very bad for them to retire.

    By the way, it's disrespectful to people who are 67, 68, 69 years old to suggest that they are in the same shape as people who are 65 -- were in 1940. It's not true at all. Have you met a 65 year old lately? 65 year-olds are not old in the United States. They're not. 68 year-olds are not old in the United States. Again, Joe Biden thinks he's not old, and that dude is running for president again, and that dude actually is old, and he's 81. I fail to see how a country in which our entire leadership class is 80 plus is telling you that we should have a retirement age of 65. It makes no sense at all.

    • Shapiro doubled down, writing, “If you are mentally and physically healthy, taxpayers should not pay you to retire at 65.” [Twitter/X, 3/12/24]
    • Shapiro: Social Security is a “pyramid scheme” and has “perverted the relationship between the generations.” [The Daily Wire, The Ben Shapiro Show, 3/8/24]

  • From the March 8, 2024, edition of The Daily Wire's The Ben Shapiro Show

    • Shapiro: “I wish Republicans wanted to raise the retirement age or cut Social Security.” He added, “They don't actually want to do any of those things because they're too afraid of doing it.” [The Daily Wire, The Ben Shapiro Show, 3/8/24]

  • From the March 8, 2024, edition of The Daily Wire's The Ben Shapiro Show

    • Shapiro's fellow Daily Wire host, Matt Walsh, rallied to his defense by attacking Social Security in multiple social media posts. On X (formerly known as Twitter), Walsh made multiple posts attacking the retirement program. He called Social Security “the most insanely unfair system ever devised,” likened it to theft, called it “an abject disaster for the working class,” claimed the middle class is “having thousands stolen from their paychecks every year to fund this insane scam,” stated that “ending the Social Security scam would be an enormous win for the middle class,” and also called it “a giant Ponzi scheme run by the state,” which is “morally indefensible and economically insane. It shouldn't exist.” [Twitter/X, 3/13/24, 3/12/24, 3/12/24, 3/12/24, 3/12/24, 3/12/24]
    • Speaking on Fox Business, Steve Forbes expressed excitement for possible Trump plans to “reform” Social Security “for young people, where they'll get their own personal account.” Forbes added, “Something to juice up the young people, Trump needs that.” [Fox Business, Varney & Co., 3/4/24]

  • From the March 4, 2024, edition of Fox Business' Varney & Co.

    • On Fox Business, former Trump Office of Management and Budget chief economist Vance Ginn said he would encourage Trump to cut Social Security benefits for younger Americans. Ginn said: “The main thing that's driving the overall budget up like it is, when you think about Social Security and Medicare, and there are some things that I think we can do in order to make sure those who are already in retirement or near retirement aren't affected. But younger Americans, like myself and others, we should be able to see … some changes for the future, whether that's private savings accounts or some sort of program like health savings accounts.” [Fox Business, Cavuto: Coast to Coast, 2/28/24]

  • From the February 28, 2024, edition of Fox Business' Cavuto: Coast to Coast

    • Heritage Foundation senior fellow Steve Moore: “One of the most evil left-wing organizations in America is the AARP.” Moore, speaking at the 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), continued: “They are responsible for trillions of dollars in taxes, trillions of dollars of higher spending.” Moore also called for a pledge from attendees not to join the AARP. The AARP is a nonprofit organization that advocates for benefits for older Americans, including Social Security. [Twitter/X, 2/24/24; AARP, accessed 3/13/24]
    • Newsmax guest Peter Schiff: “Social Security, Medicare, Obamacare — all that stuff needs to be cut. And not for the future beneficiaries, but for the people who are getting benefits right now.” [Newsmax, Rob Schmitt Tonight, 1/29/24]

  • From the January 29, 2024, edition of Newsmax's Rob Schmitt Tonight

    • Fox anchor Neil Cavuto expressed hope because some GOP candidates “opt to say … maybe we have to raise the retirement age, maybe we means test some of those benefits,” before lamenting that “invariably there's a pile-on here and then it goes away.” [Fox Business, Cavuto: Coast to Coast, 11/16/23]

  • From the November 16, 2023, edition of Fox Business' Cavuto: Coast to Coast

    • Conservative comedians Keith and Kevin Hodge, known as the Hodgetwins, posted on X: “Social security is a damn Ponzi scheme. The money we pay in gets stolen by the government and fraudulently spent.” [Twitter/X, 3/4/24]

  • Trump recently suggested he's open to cutting Social Security, and proposed cuts to funding and benefits during his presidency

    • CNN: “Former President Donald Trump … suggested he was open to making cuts to Social Security and Medicare after opposing touching the entitlement programs and attacking his GOP presidential primary rivals over the issue.” CNN reported that on CNBC's Squawk Box, Trump said, “There is a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting and in terms of also the theft and the bad management of entitlements,” after he was asked about handling Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. [CNN, 3/11/24]
    • In 2020, Trump proposed permanently eliminating the payroll tax that funds Social Security. In August 2020, The Washington Post reported that “President Trump pledged on Saturday to pursue a permanent cut to the payroll taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare if he wins reelection in November.” This followed an executive order that allowed workers to “postpone their payroll tax payments into next year but doesn’t absolve their bills outright.” The Post noted that “Trump would be embarking on a fraught process that could have catastrophic fiscal effects on programs including Social Security.” [The Washington Post, 8/8/20]
    • Despite his campaign rhetoric, Trump proposed cuts to Social Security in every budget proposal during his presidency. The Washington Post reported in 2023 that Trump planned to present himself during the 2024 campaign as a champion for Social Security and Medicare, unlike his Republican rivals. The Post noted, though: “His avowed stance, however, is at odds with Trump’s own record as president: Each of his White House budget proposals included cuts to Social Security and Medicare programs.” [The Washington Post, 2/9/23]

  • Conservative media have pushed for years to cut Social Security or further raise its retirement age

    • Charlie Kirk called for cuts to Social Security: “I'm not a fan of retirement. I don't think retirement is biblical.” Kirk said, “I'm willing to strike a deal so that people in their twenties are going to get next to nothing for future Social Security if it means we can balance the budget.” [Salem Media Group, The Charlie Kirk Show, 9/19/23]

  • From the September 19, 2023, edition of Salem Media Group's The Charlie Kirk Show

    CHARLIE KIRK (HOST): Look, for current beneficiaries, none of – none of your obligations should be touched. If you're receiving Social Security, if you're receiving Medicare, if you look at the composition of the federal proposed budget, a lot of it though – and I don't like this word entitlement. I don't like that. I'll be honest. If you pay into Social Security, that's not an entitlement. You earned that.

    Now, I do think you should be able to opt out of Social Security payments. I really do. You should be able to say no, I don't want it in the future. I don't want it now. I can invest it far more dutifully than with the federal government. And just so you know, the federal government's not putting your Social Security payments in some sort of a lockbox. They take your Social Security payments via FICA for 20, 25, 30, 35 year-olds and then they just bring it through and they say, ok, we'll pay you later, we'll pay you later. We'll pay you later. And so, the proportion of retirees to people paying used to be something like 20 to 1, 30 to 1. Now it's like 2.5 to 1.

    So in the future, and I'm talking about my generation, I – I'm 29 years old. I'm willing to say, you know what, I'm willing to strike a deal so that people in their twenties are going to get next to nothing for future Social Security if it means we can balance the budget.

    Now, I totally understand, if I were to say that about people in their fifties right now, there would be a revolt at our studio. Of all the issues that if I were to even touch, even allude to saying that a 1% adjustment of Social Security or Medicare, it would be a riot.

    I get it, because a lot of people depend on it, and a lot of people, you know, live on it, and they expect it, and look, you have to understand, you work many decades to pay into it and you’re made a promise and the government says, oh, you know, not so fast. I will say there's a lot of lying around the Social Security or Medicare issue. A lot of lying. Where it is used as a political football.

    Now, I will say that for future retirees, people under the age of 45, we should absolutely raise the retirement age. I'm going to say something very provocative. I'm not a fan of retirement. I don't think retirement is biblical. I think that if you retire, you should always be doing something not to say that you have to, you can't slow down, but you should be helping people, part-time work. You should be helping with the grandkids, volunteering. I do not like the over-emphasis on a retirement-based society. I don't. I think there is so much talent that is not being used.

    In fact, I talk to senior citizens. They say, Charlie, after I officially retired, I went back and I was a part-time substitute teacher, counselor at the local church. And so, I challenge this idea of retirement altogether. People are living longer. Are they doing more with their seventies or eighties? Some, yes. Some, not so much. But you say Charlie, I'm just gonna retire and I'm just gonna go golf. I think, what a waste of the gifts that God has given you. What a waste of the wisdom that you have been given just to –  kind of just watch TV and to golf. No, there are young people that need you as a mentor. You know, how many Turning Point USA chapters would be blessed by people in their sixties, seventies, and eighties to mentor them, to pour into them, to give them advice?

    So, we take money from people who need it the most, young families in their twenties and thirties, and give it to those who need it the least.

    • Fox anchor John Roberts called for “cooperation” to cut Social Security and Medicare. Roberts said: “There’s all this talk about how to get spending under control, and I think people on both sides rationally know there is no way to get spending under control unless you start to implement reforms to things like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, but neither side wants to come forward unilaterally and say, ‘Here’s our plan to do it,’” Roberts said. “There needs to be cooperation, they need to reach out across the aisle and until they do that, that debt ceiling is just going to keep bumping up and bumping up and bumping up — look at where it is now, more than $31 trillion, it's stunning.” [Fox News, America Reports, 4/19/23]

  • From the April 19, 2023, edition of Fox News' America Reports

    • Fox's Mark Levin on Social Security: “What DeSantis voted for, and I would have voted for it too, was to raise the retirement age to 70.” [Westwood One, The Mark Levin Show, 4/3/23]

  • Fox's Mark Levin: "What DeSantis voted for, and I would have voted for it too, was to raise the retirement age to 70"

    Fox's Mark Levin: "What DeSantis voted for, and I would have voted for it too, was to raise the retirement age to 70"

    From the April 3, 2023, edition of Westwood One's The Mark Levin Show

    MARK LEVIN (HOST): Social Security. We talk about that a lot here as well as Medicare. We talk about the trustees and what the trustees say. Well, I hate to bring you bad news again. This is via Fox, the trustees of Social Security. Medicare, the Social Security Retirement Fund could run out of money as soon as 2033. By my calculation, that's ten years, Mr. Producer. That's a year earlier than previously projected. The acceleration toward insolvency is largely the result of a 3% downward revision of gross domestic product and labor productivity over the next decade, findings from the Social Security Medicare trustees report show. So this trustee's report just came out.

    Now, here's the deal. When the Democrats destroy the economy, they're destroying these entitlements. When you look at the currency and what's happening to the currency, the communist Chinese are now stepping in and the communist who now runs Brazil, he's a communist. Oh, no, no. He's a democratic socialist. He's a communist. He just said that the entire Brazilian economy is now going to be based on the Chinese currency and not America's currency. And he's not the only one. This is something that is extremely worrisome. This is a transition in the real sense of the term from an American – America superpower economic status to an America second-level economic status. And this is going to harm us in ways you can't imagine. This is what's going on. This is what you won't hear on Meet the Press or Face the Nation or ABC This Week. You're not going to hear this stuff. They don't want to talk about it. They're mental midgets. They don't want to get into it. It's just appalling. This is stuff that affects you directly and the mass media don't give a crap. It's all focused on what they want to focus on. The acceleration towards insolvency unless major changes are made before 2034 to shore up the entitlement program. Ready for this? More than 66 million Americans would see a benefit reduction of between 23 and 25%. And I also told you that you're going to see a massive increase in the tax on these entitlements that will exceed 20% on you folks who pay payroll taxes.

    Ron DeSantis is being attacked unfortunately by the Trump campaign over this, but Ron DeSantis is right. His idea is an idea we've had for many years, and I brought this up and George Soros' Media Matters got very upset because they oppose Social Security and Medicare. Soros and the group that he funds, Media Matters, want to see Social Security and Medicare collapse.

    We know this because of their opposition to any kind of reform. Now, this is serious stuff. It's gonna affect each and every one of you. And Joe Biden starts by attacking Rick Scott who wants to take a look at this stuff. You know, "You want to cut Social Security and Medicare," and then we played for you with Joe Biden sitting on the floor of the Senate, that he literally wanted to cut them, he said a decade or two ago.

    Now, this isn't about cutting them. This is about changing certain variables in these programs for future generations.

    One of the proposals that was made several years ago, and I think what DeSantis voted for, and I would have voted for it too, was to raise the retirement age to 70, to grandfather in all current beneficiaries and those who will be beneficiaries within the next 10 years, so anybody 55 and older, because it's not gonna exist. It won't be viable. It's not gonna happen if something like that isn't done. I'm waiting for Chuck Todd to explain this, but Chuck Todd is an idiot.

    Medicare, meanwhile, faces an even greater financial shortfall in the coming years. And I told you about this, I turn 65 in September and I didn't want to become part of Medicare. Honestly, it's a patriotic thing.

    I didn't want to do it. I've been paying into it since I've been 16 years old. I didn't want to be part of it. I already have my private health care and they said you must be part of it. I said, What do you mean I must? You must be part of it. The private health care can be the secondary, the backup, but you must be part of Medicare. I said, I don't have to be. I don't need. No, you must. I have to have a Medicare. I have a Medicare card. I'm in the system. It's the first one to pay. I was willing not even to do it. These are the lame brains and we're dealing with. But the funds reserve will, quote, according to the trustees, become depleted and continue to program income will be sufficient to pay 89% of total scheduled benefits. The report said it could result in an 11% pay reduction to health care providers. Now, you know what happens when that happens. You're going to see doctors leaving the practice. You're going to see others hospitals going under. I mean, between the illegal aliens that don't pay anything in reduced reimbursements. Nobody can survive this. I'll be right back.

    • Shapiro: “There's no question the United States needs to raise its retirement age.” Shapiro continued: “All of these Social Security programs are bankrupt. They're all pyramid schemes reliant on generations yet to be born and who will not be born given the reproductive rates in the West.” [The Daily Wire, The Ben Shapiro Show, 3/29/23]

  • From the March 29, 2023, edition of The Daily Wire's The Ben Shapiro Show

    BEN SHAPIRO (HOST): Well, one of the thing that's happening here is basically France is recognizing the reality of its own fiscal insanity. And when I say France, I mean Macron. Macron is right on the issue. There's no question that France has to raise its retirement age. By the way, there's no question the United States needs to raise its retirement age. All of these Social Security programs are bankrupt. They're all pyramid schemes reliant on generations yet to be born and who will not be born given the reproductive rates in the West. It's simple fact of the matter. Right now, if you look at the unfunded pension liabilities in France, like 200% of GDP. If you look at the unfunded pension liabilities in the United States, it's just as much -- I mean, it's actually way higher in the United States. There are certain estimates that suggest that the unfunded pension liabilities in the United States amount to like 700% of GDP. It's totally insane. We're going to have to re-shift all of these Social Security and welfare structures because, again, they were pay it forward structures that were not input defined, they were benefits defined. They were defined benefits plan, not defined contribution plans. And so now, we're going to be forced to take austerity measures. But the problem is that when you make people promises then they want those promises to be kept, even if it's not possible.

    • Levin admitted that “Republicans have had a plan for 20 years” to increase the eligibility age for Social Security. Levin said: “Do Republicans have a plan? Actually, Republicans have had a plan for 20 years, and that plan is basically those people who are on Social Security are grandfathered in. People who are 55 to 65 are grandfathered in when they turn 65. But everybody else, unfortunately, they're gonna have to see the age increase — that is, to 70. Used to be they said 67, but now that has to be around 70.” [Westwood One, The Mark Levin Show, 3/16/23]

  • Fox's Mark Levin admits that "Republicans have had a plan for 20 years" to increase the eligibility age for Social Security

    Fox's Mark Levin admits that "Republicans have had a plan for 20 years" to increase the eligibility age for Social Security

    From the March 16, 2023, edition of Westwood One's The Mark Levin Show

    MARK LEVIN (HOST): Janet Yellen testifying today, another incompetent over there at the Treasury Department. She might even the first woman treasurer. I don't really know. I don't really care, but I suspect, maybe, that's what was going on on that selection. May I say the word woman? I mean, it's not like I'm going to the Supreme Court or anything. And she's questioned by Bill Cassidy, Louisiana. Typically he's a wet noodle, but does pretty well here. And you see the trustees of Social Security say, if we don't fix this thing -- if we don't fix this thing, the beneficiaries of Social Security are going to see their checks cut by on average 24 percent. And the Social Security tax increased by at least a hundred percent.

    And so Joe Biden has a plan - none. Nothing. Do Republicans have a plan? Actually, Republicans have had a plan for 20 years, and that plan is basically those people who are on Social Security are grandfathered in. People who are 55 to 65 are grandfathered in when they turn 65. But everybody else, unfortunately, they're gonna have to see the age increase - that is, to 70. Used to be they said 67, but now that has to be around 70. And that's how you fix it without screwing the people who've been paying into it and are about to get Social Security or who are on Social Security.

    • Newsmax guest Brianna Lyman: “I think it's a great idea to sunset Social Security, Medicare, all that.” Lyman said: “I mean, listen, I think it's a great idea to sunset Social Security, Medicare, all that. And the reason I say that is because, like Rick Scott said, if that program is important enough, Congress will renew it. If the program is important enough to voters, they will vote in an elected official who will continue that program.” [Newsmax, American Agenda, 2/14/23]

  • From the February 14, 2023, edition of Newsmax's American Agenda

    BOB SELLARS (HOST): It does raise a question, though, and an interesting one. In the face of our debt problems, $31 trillion dollars in debt, is it ever ok to cut maybe parts of Social Security. Let's bring our panel back and I'll start with Kim this time. Kim, because one of the things people are asking is, let's take Joe Biden. He's worth millions. I'm not going to specify where he got his money. But let's say he's worth millions. And, should he be getting Social Security? You can save money if it's means-tested. Should that be a reasonable thing to look at? 

    KIM KLACIK (GUEST):  Yeah I think that is reasonable. I mean, but you'll never hear that from Joe Biden or anyone in Joe Biden's position, right? They've made millions of dollars being so-called public servants. And we don't know where the money has come from. And that doesn't matter in this case. What we're talking about is the fact that do people like Joe Biden need Social Security? At the end of the day, he probably does not. But he's not going to take that cushion from underneath him. He's always talking about people in a certain tax bracket paying their fair share, but he could turn this around and look at some of the things that he could be doing. But, of course, that's not going to happen.

    KATRINA SZISH (HOST): Brianna, your thoughts.

    BRIANNA LYMAN (GUEST): Yeah. I mean, listen, I think it's a great idea to sunset Social Security, Medicare, all that. And the reason I say that is because, like Rick Scott said, if that program is important enough, Congress will renew it. If the program is important enough to voters, they will vote in an elected official who will continue that program.

    And this idea is not new. And the fact that Joe Biden is coming out is so hypocritical because this is the same man in 1975 that said, let's do a four-year sunset on all federal programs. In the mid-80s, he said, let's do a freeze spending for an entire year, which would include Social Security and Medicare. And then he doubled down again in 1995. So, we have three different instances in which this man has literally wanted to do what Republicans want to do, which is about fiscal responsibility.

    SELLERS: Yeah, and I think a lot of people who are in charge in favor of that. I think what they're worried about is that the political winds in the short term might not serve people who have spent their whole lives working and contributing to the system, not getting something fair and getting the stability and security financially that really that they would like to have.

    • Hannity also applauded a GOP plan to “sunset” Social Security. When Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) proposed a plan to “sunset” all federal legislation after 5 years unless Congress reauthorized it, Hannity said to Scott: “I want to applaud you. I'd like to see the House and the Senate come together on these issues, make these promises to the American people, get elected and then fulfill those promises.” [Media Matters, 2/9/23]

  • From the February 22, 2022, edition of Fox News' Hannity.

    • Moore called for Trump to privatize the “black hole” of Social Security. Moore explained, “Well, this is an idea that I don't know if the Trump administration is going to embrace, but it's something, I think, for middle-class people would be one of the best ways for every American to own stock in America. So, instead — the idea would be, you know, rather than having to send your 10% of your paycheck into the black hole of Social Security, you would be able to put that into a personal account, like an index fund. And that means, Steve, everybody in America would benefit when the stock market goes up.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 11/25/19]

  • From the November 25, 2019, edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends

    STEVE DOOCY (CO-HOST): Capital gains rollover, how would that work?

    STEPHEN MOORE (HERITAGE FOUNDATION SENIOR FELLOW): Yeah, well this was -- we didn't cut the capital gains tax in the last -- in the bill. We wanted to, you know, the one we passed in 2017. So this is an idea -- not to make this too complicated, but let's say, Steve, if you own shares of General Electric stock. And you sell those shares and then you have a capital gains because you made money on the -- and then if you put that money into buying a new stock, why should you have to pay a capital gains on that? All you're doing is transferring one stock to another. So this is called rollover, and it would allow more liquidity in the market and it would basically say OK, you pay the tax when you take the money out of the stock market, not if you transfer one stock for another.

    DOOCY: Final idea, private accounts for Social Security. And you know that people are going to see that, they're going to go, wait, what are they talking about now?

    MOORE: Well, this is an idea that I don't know if the Trump administration is going to embrace, but it's something, I think, for middle-class people would be one of the best ways for every American to own stock in America. So, instead -- the idea would be, you know, rather than having to send your 10% of your paycheck into the black hole of Social Security, you would be able to put that into personal account, like an index fund. And that means, Steve, everybody in America would benefit when the stock market goes up.

    • In 2012, former 700 Club host Pat Robertson said raising the retirement age to 72 won't “hurt anybody because people really like to work.” [Christian Broadcasting Network, The 700 Club, 8/27/12]
    • In 2011, former Fox host Tucker Carlson called Social Security “a Ponzi scheme.” [Fox News, America’s Newsroom, 8/31/11]
    • In 2010, Fox anchor Martha MacCallum called for raising the retirement age, and said then-President Barack Obama should consider privatizing Social Security. [Fox News, America’s Newsroom, 11/15/10]
    • Art Laffer in 2010: Raise retirement age to 70 because “I love working.” [Fox News, Your World, 6/29/10]
    • Conservative pundit George Will in November 2010: Raising retirement age to 69 “should be done next Thursday.” [ABC, This Week, 11/14/10]
    • Fox host Neil Cavuto’s “2010 Campaign Platform” included these directives: “Start by raising retirement age for Social Security,” and “Let younger workers put a portion of retirement money in the markets.” [Media Matters, 9/28/10]
    • Then-Fox Business host Eric Bolling: Social Security is “kind of like a Ponzi scheme ... should rename it the Madoff Social Security system.” [Fox News, The Live Desk, 8/14/09]
    • Carlson was one of the biggest media defenders of former President George W. Bush's scheme to privatize Social Security. In 2005, Carlson also proposed raising the retirement age and claimed it was time to “reexamine” the program “as a way to cut federal spending a bit.” [Media Matters, 2/16/23]