Trump opens the door to attacks over Social Security and Medicare: From the Politics Desk

Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill.

In today’s edition, senior national political reporter Sahil Kapur notes how Donald Trump has opened himself up to attacks on Social Security and Medicare. Plus, senior political editor Mark Murray explains why Joe Biden is ramping up his campaign activity this week.

Trump gives Biden a target by talking entitlement programs

By Sahil Kapur

Donald Trump stepped right into a debate Monday that Joe Biden is eager to have.

Trump, who had attacked his GOP primary opponents for wanting to spend less on entitlement programs, opened the door to “cutting” Social Security and Medicare during an interview on CNBC.

“So first of all, there is a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting,” Trump said when pressed about his plan for resolving the programs’ long-term solvency problems. He went on to blast “bad management.”

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Trump didn’t specify what he would cut, but the Biden campaign rapidly swooped in to share the remarks on social media, saying: “Not on my watch.”

A few hours later, Biden tore into Trump during a speech in the battleground state of New Hampshire. “If anyone tries to cut Social Security or Medicare, or raise the retirement age again, I will stop them,” the president said. “This morning, Donald Trump said cuts to Social Security and Medicare are on the table again.”

Trump’s campaign sought to clean up his remarks, telling NBC News he only meant “cutting waste and fraud.” Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt also circulated a statement claiming that Biden is