PJ Media - Trump to PJM on 2016 Platform: No Social Security Cuts

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By Nicholas Ballasy

Donald Trump, chairman and president of the Trump Organization, pledged not to cut Social Security benefits if he became president.

"I'm not going to be cutting Social Security and I will tell you I appreciated what Ed Schultz said. He happens to be right," Trump, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, said at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Schultz, an MSNBC host, recently praised Trump for his business experience and his stance on entitlement programs.

"He's created more jobs than any of them, than all of the candidates put together. He's done more deals, he's signed more contracts, he has the business experience, he's the guy who's taking the risk," Schultz said. "He's the guy who has been successful. I mean, Trump's business experience, compared to the rest of the Republican field, is unparalleled, so why don't they listen to him?"

According to the Government Accountability Office, Social Security issued more than $5 billion worth of improper payments in FY2014. Medicare's improper payments totaled more than $45 billion in FY2014.

"You can get rid of the waste and the abuse, and you get rid of that and you have to keep it," Trump said. "People have paid in for many, many years and it's very unfair to cut them, so I'm very strong. We'll take the money back from China and everybody else."

MSNBC host Al Sharpton was asked if he agreed with Schultz's comments about Trump.

"He would be my choice for the Republicans. It would assure four more years of the Democrats. Run, Donald, run," he told PJM at the dinner.

Ivanka Trump, executive vice president of development & acquisitions of The Trump Organization, was asked if the Trump Organization is prepared for Donald Trump's potential run for president.

"My father is an amazing leader. I think he's taught us very well and we're a team so I'm sure whatever decision he makes, we'll think it through as a collective and figure out the right path," she said at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Ivanka Trump said her current focus is on the Trump Organization's renovation of the Old Post Office building in Washington. The General Services Administration chose the Trump Organization for the $200 million privately funded project.

"I'm actually not here to be very political," she said. "My focus is obviously on the hotel, which will be a great source of employment for many people, both in terms of temporary jobs through construction and permanent jobs when we open the hotel. So we'll be a very large employer in D.C. and ultimately jobs are what this economy needs more than anything, so that as a developer is the greatest thing I think we can do."

The White House Correspondents' Dinner, attended by approximately 2,600 guests, is held at the Washington Hilton every year, which has the largest hotel ballroom in Washington. PJ Media asked Ivanka Trump if the new hotel could handle an event of that size.

"I'm highly confident of that. I know we can. So it's going to be spectacular when we open," she said.

Donald Trump said the hotel is ahead of schedule and likely to open before September 2016.

"We're building one of the great hotels of the world and it's going to be exciting," he said.

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