Gillibrand Releases Original Report Detailing Trump’s Extensive Harm To Seniors

Gillibrand Releases Original Report Detailing Trump's Extensive Harm To Seniors

Mar 25, 2026

Read the report here.

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) held a virtual press conference to discuss her new report on the harm caused by President Trump's attacks on Social Security, Medicaid, nutrition assistance, and other programs that seniors rely on.

"When Donald Trump was campaigning, he promised to 'stop inflation,' protect Social Security, and leave Medicaid alone. As president, he has broken all of those promises," said Senator Gillibrand. "My report shows that instead of fighting for seniors, the president has attacked the very programs that help them stay afloat, including Social Security, Medicaid, and nutrition assistance programs. As a result, American seniors are sicker, poorer, and more vulnerable today than they were just a year ago. This is devastating. I'll keep fighting for legislation that counteracts the president's efforts to undermine these programs so that our seniors can age with dignity and respect."

Gillibrand's report, entitled "Confusion & Chaos: 2025 & President Trump's Betrayal of America's Seniors," focuses on eight harms that represent the Trump administration's failure to support seniors during his first year in office:

1. President Trump broke his promise to tame inflation and expressed disdain for concerns about the cost of living;
2. President Trump's so-called "Department of Government Efficiency" attacked the infrastructure that supports Social Security;
3. President Trump decimated Medicaid so he could slash taxes for wealthy Americans;
4. President Trump repealed key nursing home safety standards after being lobbied by wealthy nursing home executives;
5. President Trump disrupted services authorized by the Older Americans Act (OAA), including nutrition programs like Meals on Wheels;
6. President Trump created new red tape for seniors to access food assistance as another way to fund tax cuts for wealthy Americans;
7. President Trump proposed steep cuts for nonprofits that protect people with disabilities and seniors; and
8. President Trump attempted to dismantle the agency that guards Americans against financial crimes, including financial crimes that target older adults.

As the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, Senator Gillibrand has worked to combat President Trump's actions to harm seniors since his inauguration. Some of her bills include:

• Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act: would help undo President Trump's damage to the Social Security Administration. It would also protect beneficiaries by properly funding the agency; assuring adequate staffing to support claims processing and customer service, including at field offices; and requiring the safeguarding of beneficiary data and information.
• Protecting Older Americans Act: would ensure that older workers who experience age discrimination are able to seek justice and hold employers accountable.
• Strategic Plan for Aging Act: would support states' efforts to create and implement Multisector Plans for Aging and Aging with a Disability.
• National Strategy for Combating Scams Act: would require the Federal Bureau of Investigation to develop an interagency strategy for combating scams, including scams that target older adults.
• Guarding Unprotected Aging Retirees from Deception (GUARD) Act: would boost the ability of state and local law enforcement to use the blockchain to investigate financial scams that use cryptocurrency.

###