Spotlighting shift on Social Security and Medicare, DNC welcomes Ron DeSantis to Iowa

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is casting a critical eye on Ron DeSantis as he visits the Hawkeye State.

People in Davenport and Des Moines will see a “mobile billboard campaign” that will “blast DeSantis for endorsing cuts to Social Security and Medicare,” per a DNC media release.

“As a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, Ron DeSantis repeatedly championed plans to cut Social Security and Medicare — so the DNC is making sure Iowans hear exactly what he has to say about his own record,” DNC spokesperson Rhyan Lake said.

“The 2024 GOP field is coming after Medicare and Social Security as they race to out-MAGA each other, and the DNC is going to ensure voters hear about their real agenda.”

The national party’s investment follows concerns raised by Rita Hart, Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, in a press call Thursday.

“DeSantis has repeatedly supported cuts to Social Security and to Medicare — and Iowans know that if that wrong-headed policy is brought to our state, it would be catastrophic for Iowa’s seniors,” Hart told reporters.

The billboard comes roughly a week after DeSantis declared he was now against adjustments to senior entitlement programs, walking back previous positions during an interview on the Fox News Channel’s America’s Newsroom.

“Look, I have more seniors here than just about anyone as a percentage. You know, we’re not going to mess with Social Security as Republicans. I think that that’s pretty clear.”

DeSantis then suggested “an unprecedented binge in discretionary spending” under President Joe Biden and predecessor Donald Trump actually was the problem with America’s fiscal situation.

“People used to say they would blame Social Security or Medicare for budget woes, but the reality is they have printed trillions and trillions of dollars and that has really fueled the inflation. And not only that: the discretionary spending is funding agencies that are doing things that are hostile to the rights of the American people and have really been weaponized against factions of society that the elite ruling class doesn’t like,” DeSantis said.

Democrats and former President Trump are singing from the same hymnal, as Trump has spotlighted DeSantis’ previous budget hawk position on the senior entitlement programs.

“I guess people are finding out that he wanted to CUT SOCIAL SECURITY & RAISE THE MINIMUM AGE TO AT LEAST 70, at least 4 times. LIKEWISE WITH MEDICARE, WANTED BIG CUTS,” he posted recently on his Truth Social account.

“HE IS A WHEELCHAIR OVER THE CLIFF KIND OF GUY, JUST LIKE HIS HERO, failed politician Paul Ryan, the FoxNews ratings destroyer who led Mitt Romney’s Presidential Campaign down the tubes.”

See the Democratic billboard below.