Tuolumne County Indivisible’s claim that the Trump administration is stripping away Social Security and Medicare is a misrepresentation of the facts. The administration is not dismantling these programs but working to sustain them. For decades, official Congressional Budget Office reports show that on their current trajectories, both Social Security and Medicare will become insolvent in our lifetime. Past Congresses and Presidents have repeatedly kicked these cans down the road, lacking the will to make the tough decisions needed. Through measures like targeting waste and abuse, fraud reduction and improving overall efficiency by replacing outdated, antiquated systems, the Trump administration is actually working to save Social Security and Medicare.

Saturday’s protest demonstrated that our First Amendment right and our Constitution are alive and well. What was lacking in Tuolumne County Indivisible’s message were solutions. Waving signs, giving speeches and chants of “F— Trump” don’t present potential solutions, they just keep the rhetoric at a boil. The Trump administration is doing what so many prior administrations failed to do – ensuring Tuolumne County residents who need and rely on Social Security and Medicare continue to receive what has been promised to them.