U.S. low-income voters fear Trump may slash benefits: report

NEW YORK, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Low-income Americans who voted for Donald Trump say they are counting on him to keep their benefits intact even while his Cabinet picks and Republican lawmakers call on him to reduce federal spending, reported The Washington Post on Thursday.

Fifty percent of voters from families with an income of less than 50,000 U.S. dollars a year cast their ballots for Trump, according to Census data, compared with 48 percent for Vice President Kamala Harris. Four years ago, Joe Biden carried those voters by 11 percentage points; Hillary Clinton won them by 12 points in 2016 and Barack Obama by 22 points in 2012.

"Americans of all backgrounds elected President Trump because of his plans to lower costs, end the financial drain of illegal immigrants on our healthcare system, and ensure that our country can continue to care for American citizens who rely on Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security," said Anna Kelly, a spokeswoman for his transition team.

"Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, whom Trump has chosen to lead a new nongovernmental advisory panel, the Department of Government Efficiency, have said they want to trim $2 trillion from the government's annual budget, a cut that some experts say could be accomplished only by slashing entitlement programs," noted the report.

Trump's pick for White House budget director was a key architect of Project 2025, a plan drawn up by conservatives to guide his second term that calls for steep cuts to programs such as food stamps. And GOP leaders in Congress and Trump advisers are considering significant changes to Medicaid, food stamps and other federal aid, it added.