White House reportedly rejected 'ludicrous' coronavirus relief plan that would have curbed retirement benefits

(Image credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

published 10 May 2020

Some traditional conservatives in the White House — like new chief of staff Mark Meadows — are growing wary of how much the federal government is spending during the coronavirus pandemic, The Washington Post reports. But it doesn't look like President Trump shares their concerns.

Senior administration officials reportedly discussed the so-called "Eagle Plan," a 29-page memo reportedly written by Paul Touw, the chief strategy officer to State Department Undersecretary Keith Krach, who is close to Jared Kushner. The proposal, a copy of which was obtained by the Post, calls for giving Americans a $10,000 one-time payment in exchange for curbing federal retirements benefits, such as Social Security, which Trump has long promised to protect.

While some officials and advisers, like conservative economist Art Laffer, supported the idea, the White House apparently shot it down without much thought. "The mere thought of this so-called 'plan' is ludicrous on its face," said White House spokesman Hogan Gidley. "President Trump has been clear that while he is in office, the American people can feel secure without a shadow of a doubt that he will completely protect Social Security and Medicare — end of story, full stop." Read more at The Washington Post.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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