REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
A CNN fact-checker recently scrutinized claims made by Vice President Kamala Harris regarding Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for a potential future Republican administration. During a speech in North Carolina, Harris targeted the proposal, particularly highlighting its potential impact on Social Security.
Harris stated, “Donald Trump will give billionaires and corporations massive tax cuts, cut Social Security and Medicare, and make it easier for companies to deny overtime pay for workers.” This comment prompted CNN host Jim Acosta to turn to fact-checker Daniel Dale for clarification.
Dale began by acknowledging that Harris has been making similar claims since July, repeatedly suggesting that Project 2025 calls for Social Security cuts. However, he quickly debunked this, stating, “Nowhere in there does it call for Social Security cuts. In fact, it barely mentions Social Security.”
Dale further explained that the extensive Project 2025 document only makes passing references to Social Security. He added, “Now, it does say that the federal budget should be balanced, and Harris allies might tell you, well, you can’t reasonably do that without Social Security cuts.” But, he concluded, “That’s a pretty indirect argument compared to what Vice President Harris is saying.”
While Harris’ team has pointed out that during Donald Trump’s presidency, he proposed cuts to Social Security and even suggested permanently halting the payroll tax that funds the program, Dale emphasized that this isn’t quite the same as what Harris implied about Project 2025. “Sure, you can point that out,” Dale said, referring to Trump’s prior proposals, “But, again, that’s not what she’s saying.” told by CBS News.
Dale’s fact-check drew attention to the nuanced difference between past proposals made by Trump and Harris’ assertion that Social Security cuts are a central feature of Project 2025. Although Trump has signaled openness to cutting Social Security in the past and has suggested raising the retirement age or privatizing the program, these are not explicitly part of Project 2025.
As a 2024 candidate, Trump continues to face scrutiny for his stance on Social Security, but Dale made it clear that Harris’ specific claim linking Project 2025 to cuts in the program does not align with the content of the conservative think tank’s proposal. Instead, the fact-check serves as a reminder of the importance of distinguishing between campaign rhetoric and the specifics of policy plans.
