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Hillary calls Trump's executive orders for Covid-19 a 'stunt, warns he'll go after Social Security next

The veteran Democrat called Trump's controversial move a 'diverson' and reminded that many Republicans called it 'unconstitutional'

President Donald Trump on Saturday, August 8, signed an executive order and three memoranda to provide economic aid to those people who are struggling to cope with the coronavirus pandemic situation after the Congress failed to arrive at a conclusion. However, the order sparked a controversy and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton slammed Trump’s executive order saying the latter was intending to go after Social Security and Medicare if he gets re-elected in the November 3 election. 

Speaking in an interview on MSNBC’s Am Joy, the former first lady said Trump’s signing several executive actions was nothing but a “stunt” to distract from Congress’s duty to provide financial aid to the Americans, who are struggling with the pandemic situation, over a long time. The veteran Democrat, who lost to Trump in the 2016 election despite receiving more popular votes, hoped the president’s own Republican party can “find their patriotism and conscience” while facilitating a realistic stimulus relief package. 

Clinton, 72, also highlighted several GOP members who called Trump’s actions unconstitutional and questioned if the president was aware of how his mandates on unemployment benefits and payroll taxes would work. 

“Trump sent a signal to voters that if you are unfortunately unlucky enough to have him be president again you can watch what he's going to do to Social Security and Medicare. It's going to hurt not just elderly Americans, but every American,” Clinton was quoted in a tweet by AM Joy, where Zerlina Maxwell works as the host. “It’s a stunt, there's no doubt about it, and it's most likely — as even many Republican senators have said — unconstitutional,” she said. 

'Trump trying to spend money he has no authority to direct'

"He's bypassing the Congress, trying to spend money he has no authority to direct. and it's also meant to be a big diversion from the hard work Congress should be engaged in to provide the relief tens of millions of Americans need. Sadly, we didn't take the steps for long enough to try to bend the [coronavirus] curve except for a few places and we can't act like it is back to normal — people are still unemployed, small businesses are shuttered and gasping for help,” Clinton said, adding: "There was something else, very significant, in what Trump did the other day: basically he signaled that he's going after Social Security and Medicare. Basically, he was talking about ending the financial contributions we all make into Social Security and Medicare through the payroll tax."

The former secretary of state also declined to endorse or even back any of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s vice presidential picks. She only said  that the people of America “have to do everything possible” to make sure Trump is defeated in November, labeling him a “wannabe authoritarian”. 
 
Trump accused the Democrats of trying to “steal the election” as he announced the executive actions. He also said that if he won the re-election, he would consider extending payroll tax cuts “permanently” -- something that prompted several members of even the GOP members to say that the president lacks such authority. 

“President Trump does not have the power to unilaterally rewrite the payroll tax law. The pen-and-phone theory of executive lawmaking is unconstitutional slop,” Nebraska GOP Senator Ben Sasse said.