Whoopi Goldberg erupts on Trump for Social Security comments: 'We can put you in jail'
"The View" co-host says Social Security is not an "entitlement."
"The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg said Tuesday that former President Trump should be thrown in jail following comments he made about mismanagement of Social Security benefit programs.
Trump was asked on CNBC this week whether he had considered changes to "entitlement programs" such as Medicare and Social Security.
"There is a lot you can do in terms of entitlement, in terms of cutting and in terms of also the theft and the bad management of entitlements," Trump said.
"I know that they’re going to end up weakening Social Security because the country is weak," he added.
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"The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg criticized former President Trump for recent comments he made about Social Security. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images/ABC/Screenshot)
Responding to the clip, Goldberg said, "Yeah, we could put you in jail for all your entitlements."
"Social Security is not an entitlement. We paid for that," she said as the crowd cheered.
According to the Social Security Administration, the Social Security benefit programs are "entitlement" programs. This means that workers, employers and the self-employed pay for the benefits with their Social Security taxes. The taxes that are collected are put into special trust funds.
It is considered an entitlement program because American citizens and their employers pay FICA taxes to pay for a certain number of quarters or until the employee reaches a specific age, at which point they are "entitled" to that benefit.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom faced backlash Monday after posting a truncated clip of Trump's remarks on CNBC and posting it to social media.
The Social Security Administration logo is seen outside a Social Security building in Burbank, California, on Nov. 5, 2020. (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images)
"Here is Donald Trump himself telling the American people he will slash Social Security and Medicare," Newsom wrote on X. "Remember this in November."
According to the most recent findings published by the Social Security and Medicare Trustees, the Social Security retirement fund could run out of money as soon as 2033, a year earlier than previously projected.
Unless major changes are made before 2034 to shore up the entitlement program, more than 66 million Americans would see a benefit reduction between about 23% to 25%.
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The future of the program has emerged as a contentious issue between Republicans and Democrats after President Biden accused GOP lawmakers of wanting to slash funding for Medicare and Social Security.
Fox News’ Megan Henney contributed to this report.