# Surprises coming for voters for the Leopards-Eating-Faces Party **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [November 12, 2024, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166 "2024-11-12T19:54:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 276
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2026, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5535 "2026-08-19T20:26:59Z")
[Trump’s $500/month Social Security cuts will go nuclear in Alabama: report](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/trump-s-500-month-social-security-cuts-will-go-nuclear-in-alabama-report/ar-AA2ap2TD) > [AL.com](http://AL.com) [reports](https://www.al.com/news/2026/08/social-security-facing-500-a-month-cuts-what-that-would-mean-in-each-state.html) that the deep-red state of Alabama is one of the impoverished states lining up for a beating from presidential inaction from the White House it created in the last election. > > “Barring action from Congress, millions of Americans who depend on Social Security could see their benefits cut by as much as 24 percent in 2032,” reports [AL.com](http://AL.com). “The deep cuts would average about $500 a month.” … > > “I think it’ll have a huge impact on 2026, because, remember, as these changes, particularly the Medicaid changes, come into effect, they’re going to have, people are going to be losing their coverage,” said. Rove. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2026, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5536 "2026-08-20T15:36:47Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > They won’t learn until somebody makes the effort to teach them individually. The very few news articles about “foxhole conversions” of MAGAs to “Oh, _now_ I get it!” indicate the vast majority of MAGAs, even wounded ones, have not put 2 and 2 together. Darline Graham (widow of Lindsey, running to replace him in the Senate) knows what voters’ concerns are. Boys in girls’ sports, for one thing. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2026, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5537 "2026-08-20T15:40:27Z")
She was Linsdsey’s sister, not wife. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2026, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5538 "2026-08-20T15:46:50Z")
I mean they are from South Carolina… Just kidding. Lindsey was quite famously not interested in women and also quite famously poor in his denials over it ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2026, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5539 "2026-08-20T15:48:38Z")
I’m not sure why these are called “Trump’s cuts” when these are mandated cuts to Social Security benefits if revenues from payroll taxes are not enough to meet outlays. I mean, I’m all in favor of hanging every bad thing possible on Trump, but this dog just doesn’t hunt. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2026, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5540 "2026-08-20T15:59:25Z")
Here’s an angle: What is Trump doing to prevent this from happening? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2026, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5541 "2026-08-20T16:02:29Z")
Why should he care? He doesn’t need social security. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2026, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5542 "2026-08-20T16:21:19Z")
Oops, correct. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2026, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5543 "2026-08-20T17:36:33Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > what voters’ concerns are. Boys in girls’ sports, for one thing. I think that some of the blame does lie with the Democratic party for not recognizing what people may be concerned with. There’s a HUGE vein of “conformity is paramount” in the more (little-c) conservative parts of the country. It’s so ingrained that it’s not a really well-considered thing, but rather takes the form of indignation and outrage about people/things that do not conform. And it’s wholly illogical as well. It’s largely a deep-seated anger/frustration/outrage about stuff that does not conform to how they perceive the world should be. And as such it’s an emotional response, which is a lot harder for most people to pause and analyze than a purely intellectual response. It’s literally a question of things feeling _wrong_. And in no way am I advocating anyone actually do this, my gut feeling is that if you were to transplant a gay couple who didn’t actually fulfill any of the effete stereotypes into little-c conservative America, there would be very few ripples. It’s not what they do in their bedroom that offends most of these people in large part, it’s that they don’t conform to gender norms for behavior. Trans people are sort of like the ultimate offensive thing to them; they’re not just conforming to gender norms, _they’re deliberately deceiving people_, or at least that’s how it **feels** to this demographic. So the Republicans somehow innately understand this, and play to it. Meanwhile, the Democrats pretend like it doesn’t exist, is driven by logical coherent thinking, or they just lecture/talk down to people who feel this way, as if that’s going to do anything but irritate them. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2026, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5544 "2026-08-20T17:53:01Z")
It’s a conservative media scare point, and of course the reaction is predictable. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2026, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5545 "2026-08-20T22:09:02Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > I’m not sure why these are called “Trump’s cuts” when these are mandated cuts to Social Security benefits if revenues from payroll taxes are not enough to meet outlays Trump passed a tax cut worth trillions for his rich buddy, and has consistently resisted any effort to increase or redistribute tax revenue to keep social security afloat. These cuts are the direct, easily predictable consequences of his actions. He chooses the act, he chooses the consequences, and he owns the blame. Biden called out the Republicans on this issue at least twice in two different State of the Union speeches, and their protestations to the contrary, they’ve done exactly what Biden said they wanted to do. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2026, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5546 "2026-08-20T23:34:00Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Trump passed a tax cut worth trillions for his rich buddy, and has consistently resisted any effort to increase or redistribute tax revenue to keep social security afloat. You could pass a massive income tax hike bringing in trillions of new revenue and yet the fiscal issues with Social Security would remain, because Social Security’s revenues only come from OASDI payroll taxes or from the sale of special Treasury bonds.. I’m not denying that overall government (read: Republican) parsimony in raising taxes is going to make it harder to solve problems with funding Social Security, but they are two different pots of money as currently created, and any Social Security fix will have to happen as well as a fix for the general fund’s problems. Republicans are never going to solve this for two reasons: 1) It’s a wedge issue between their donor class and the bulk of the party; and 2) Large deficits are too easy a club to bash Democrats with once they are in power, and their duckspeakers are quick to change their tune whenever power in Washington transfers, so making deficits structural when they are in power means Democrats have little headroom when they gain the presidency. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2026, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5547 "2026-08-20T23:55:20Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > but they are two different pots of money as currently created, and any Social Security fix will have to happen as well as a fix for the general fund’s problems Exactly, “as currently created”. It is a creation of the law, and you can change that law if it’s no longer working for you. That’s the whole point of being the government. But Trump and the GOP have no interest in fixing it. They want it to die. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2026, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5548 "2026-08-21T00:06:20Z")
Sure, but I’m not in favor of propping up Social Security using general fund dollars. That dedicated funding source via payroll taxes is a major source of SS’s strength, although it has the unfortunate side effect of making people think it’s a retirement savings plan rather than mandatory insurance. Adding a surtax on investment income would IMO be the best way to aid SS’s funding issues for a long while. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2026, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5549 "2026-08-21T00:11:42Z")
Or just lift that stupid cap where you don’t pay SS taxes on income above the cap. There are lots of ways to fix it. They just don’t wanna. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2026, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5550 "2026-08-21T07:43:57Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > I’m not sure why these are called “Trump’s cuts” when these are mandated cuts to Social Security benefits if revenues from payroll taxes are not enough to meet outlays. He deported huge numbers of people who were paying into it. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2026, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5551 "2026-08-22T22:02:14Z")
ThelmaLou quotes an article on April 3 from the Atlantic > [@](#): > > Several people familiar with the White House’s plans told us that there are active discussions about others leaving the administration, including FBI Director Kash Patel, Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer. and now: > U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is expected to ​step down from his role by the ‌end of the year after months of tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Wall Street Journal ​reported on Friday, citing people familiar ​with the discussions. > > Reuters could not immediately verify ⁠the report. **US Army Secretary Driscoll is expected to step down by year’s end, WSJ reports** [https://www.reuters.com/world/us-army-secretary-driscoll-is-expected-step-down-by-years-end-wsj-reports-2026-08-21/](https://www.reuters.com/world/us-army-secretary-driscoll-is-expected-step-down-by-years-end-wsj-reports-2026-08-21/) ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5552 "2026-08-24T05:14:10Z")
There’s a heartbreaking story about a guy who came over from Cuba at 12 years old during the 1980 Cuban boat lift, joined a gang in Miami at 14, and took a plea bargain and served six years in prison after an attempted murder in a gang conflict. Then he straightened out his life and got work as a specialty plumber. Until the day that he went in for a routine immigration check-in, and was promptly deported overseas to Eswatini in Africa—a country he has no connection to. He is now beyond the reach of U.S. courts. Instead he is in a legal black hole and may never go free. He has been falsely portrayed by the administration as one of the worst of the worst, and his incarceration has cost U.S. taxpayers millions of dollars in bribes to Eswatini. (This is also happening in dozens of other countries, including El Salvador when 250 Venezuelans were sent to their notorious maximum-security prison CECOT.) I feel terrible for this guy. He had become a productive member of society and has four grown daughters, all U.S. citizens. And the kicker to all this? He was an enthusiastic supporter of Trump, telling his daughters to vote for Trump. > [@New York Times](#): > > Mosquera’s sister de Ortíz told me she remembered Mosquera practically stumping for Trump. “He would sit on the patio and say, ‘Trump is going to change everything, you’ll see,’” she said. “He even told his daughter to vote for Trump.” Way to go, dumbass. Trump sure changed everything, all right. [Gift link](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/12/magazine/deportation-immigrants-prison-eswatini.html?unlocked_article_code=1.71A.TsSX.-0lkWgFjycGS&smid=url-share) ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5553 "2026-08-24T05:53:56Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Way to go, dumbass. Another guy living in the world he voted for. Too late, sucker! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166/5554 "2026-08-24T08:01:08Z")
> [@robby](#): > > I feel terrible for this guy. He had become a productive member of society and has four grown daughters, all U.S. citizens. > > And the kicker to all this? He was an enthusiastic supporter of Trump, telling his daughters to vote for Trump. And I just lost all sympathy for him; he can rot in the same hell he wanted to inflict on everyone else. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166.md?page=275) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprises-coming-for-voters-for-the-leopards-eating-faces-party/1010166.md?page=277)