Social Security, Medicare Cuts Face Massive Opposition in Deep Red State

Registered voters in Tennessee, which backed President Donald Trump by nearly 30 points in the 2024 election, are deeply opposed to cuts to Social Security and Medicare, according to a new poll from Vanderbilt University.

The level of agreement against the potential cuts across party lines is "pretty stark," John Geer, Vanderbilt Poll co-director and professor of political science, told Newsweek.

Why It Matters

Trump has repeatedly vowed to protect Social Security and Medicare against cuts on the campaign trail, but some Republicans have called for reform or changes that could impact funding to these popular programs. Some supporters of these programs have also raised concerns about whether they could be impacted by efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was spearheaded by Trump's billionaire ally Elon Musk.

What to Know

The new poll sheds light on how Tennesseans would feel about cuts to these programs. It surveyed 1,223 registered voters in Tennessee from April 17 to April 27. Over 90 percent of respondents opposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare, while nearly 90 percent opposed cuts to Medicaid.

Despite the state's conservative tilt, only six percent of Tennesseans said they support cuts to Social Security, according to the poll. Seven percent of self-identified MAGA Republicans backed the cuts, and eight percent of Republicans who don't identify as MAGA did so.

Meanwhile, three percent of Democrats and nine percent of independents supported Social Security cuts according to the poll.

When it came to Medicare, only two percent of respondents—including three percent of MAGA Republicans and two percent of non-MAGA Republicans—backed cuts. Meanwhile, no Democrats and only two percent of independents supported these cuts.

There was a slightly larger partisan divide on Medicaid cuts, but still, only 10 percent supported those. Twenty percent of MAGA Republicans said healthcare to the poor should be cut, compared to 10 percent of non-MAGA Republicans. Only four percent of Democrats and 12 percent of independents supported the change.

"There's a conversation going on right now about if they cut too much, will there be consequences. The answer is yes, there will be consequences. Not among people who don't support them, but in fact their base," Geer told Newsweek.

Tennessee, while solidly Republican, has some independent strains such as having historically high levels of support for these programs, Geer said. If Republicans move to cut these programs, they could face "serious erosion" even in conservative states, he said.

"If the economy really does suffer, and if it can be tied to tariffs, and if they cut too much into these core social programs that provide social support, there could be some consequences," he said. "It's not going to turn the state blue, but it could make it less red."

What People Are Saying

A group of centrist House Republicans wrote in a letter to the Social Security Administration (SSA) on Tuesday: "We commend and support the continued efforts to make our bloated bureaucracy more efficient for the American people. However, we must use caution and consider the impact any changes would have so there are no disruptions in services for our seniors and disabled who depend on the Social Security Administration to receive retirement benefits and supplemental security income."

President Donald Trump told Fox News in February: "Social Security won't be touched, other than if there's fraud or something...It's going to be strengthened... Medicare, Medicaid, none of that stuff is going to be touched."

Senator Tommy Tuberville, an Alabama Republican, said on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures in April: "Social Security, Medicare and Medicare is going to blow up and is going to go broke if we continue down the path of what the Democrats want."

What Happens Next

Trump has indicated he would not support cuts to these programs as part of his agenda, parts of which may be included in a reconciliation bill. The president, however, has pledged to implement tax cuts later this year.