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Washington, May 2 (IANS) US President Donald Trump on told a crowd of seniors in Florida that his administration has effectively delivered “no tax on Social Security,” framing it as a central pillar of his economic and political pitch ahead of midterm elections.

Addressing residents at The Villages, one of the largest retirement communities in the United States, Trump said, “we're here to celebrate a policy that benefits every American senior all across this land, and it's called no tax on Social Security. It's done.”

He claimed the policy was part of what he described as a sweeping tax overhaul, saying his “Great Big, Beautiful Bill was the largest tax cut in American history,” adding that “more than 51 million American seniors now pay a federal tax rate of zero.”

Trump repeatedly contrasted his policies with those of his predecessor, alleging that “under crooked Joe Biden, American seniors were ravaged by the worst inflation in the history of our country,” and said his administration had reversed that trend.

The President also highlighted measures targeting entitlement programmes, stating that “we've removed nearly 300,000 illegal aliens from the Social Security roll” and “more than 100,000 migrants from Medicare eligibility,” arguing that such steps were aimed at “saving Social Security because it was so rife with fraud.”

On healthcare, Trump said his administration had “secured the largest reduction in drug prices in American history,” adding that under his pricing model, “we had the highest price for prescription drugs anywhere in the world and now we have the lowest prices anywhere in the world.”

He announced that starting July 1, Medicare would cover weight-loss drugs at significantly reduced costs, saying medicines such as Ozempic and Wegovy “will be available for $50 a month.”

Trump also touted broader economic indicators, claiming “the stock market is rocking and rolling your 401ks are at the highest they've ever been,” and said retirement accounts had seen substantial gains compared to previous years.

In a direct appeal to seniors, he said tax refunds had risen sharply, noting that in Florida “we've issued $2.5 million Florida seniors over $13 billion,” and argued that the changes would translate into improved quality of life, including “more money to visit your grandkids” and “extra dinners out with your family.”

Mary Alice, a resident invited to speak, said the policy had tangible benefits. “The Big, Beautiful Bill helped my husband and I so much this year… we were so shocked when we picked up our tax return,” she said, adding, “this is all because of the no tax on Social Security.”

Television personality Phil McGraw, who also addressed the gathering, supported the policy, saying Social Security taxation amounted to “double taxation” and that seniors were “paying taxes twice.”

Trump also touched on foreign policy and national security, reiterating his stance that “we cannot let lunatics have a nuclear weapon,” and referenced recent military actions, saying the US had acted to ensure adversaries did not acquire such capabilities.

He concluded with a political appeal, urging supporters to mobilise ahead of upcoming elections, saying, “you have to get out and vote in the midterms because they'll give them to you again” if opponents return to power.

--IANS

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