American Bridge slams Donald Trump’s Villages stop as ‘scam targeting seniors’

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Group highlights budget proposal cutting Medicare spending by $575 billion.

President Donald Trump ‘s visit to The Villages brings the newest scam on Florida seniors, one liberal Super PAC claims.

American Bridge 21st Century slammed Trump’s planned signing of an executive order protecting Medicare despite proposing severe cuts.

“Donald Trump’s latest sham photo-op can’t gloss over the reality of his record – consistently working to gut Medicare every chance he gets,” said American Bridge spokesperson Jeb Fain.

“While this scandal-ridden president tries to sell seniors yet another bill of goods, the policies he’s actually pushed would be an absolute disaster for Medicare beneficiaries in Florida and across the country.”

The organization spotlighted that despite repeated promises in 2016 not to cut Medicare, the president’s proposed budget would cut Medicare by $575 billion over the next decade.

Additionally, American Bridge asserted Trump’s effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a signature policy accomplishment of former President Barack Obama, could force hundreds of thousands of Florida Medicare beneficiaries to pay more for prescription drugs.

Trump’s visit to the Central Florida community today will include an official signing ceremony on an executive order protecting Medicare, the White House announced last week.

The invitation-only event will be held at 1:30 p.m. at the Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center.

In the 55-and-over community, the perfect audience will be in place for a bill protecting a program vital to many seniors.

“There’s a lot of challenges to the Medicare system, so I’m glad that the president hasn’t lost sight of the importance to a significant portion of the population,” John Calandro, a founding member of Villagers for Trump, said last week.

But American Bridge dismissed the event today as a public relations stunt that “rings particularly hollow, however, given his actual record of working to undermine Medicare in Washington.”

American Bridge 21st Century was founded by Media Matters founder David Brock. The Super PAC focuses on opposition research.

Jacob Ogles

Jacob Ogles has covered politics in Florida since 2000 for regional outlets including SRQ Magazine in Sarasota, The News-Press in Fort Myers and The Daily Commercial in Leesburg. His work has appeared nationally in The Advocate, Wired and other publications. Events like SRQ’s Where The Votes Are workshops made Ogles one of Southwest Florida’s most respected political analysts, and outlets like WWSB ABC 7 and WSRQ Sarasota have featured his insights. He can be reached at [email protected].



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