Americans, at 45% according to a Gallup poll released Friday, are "satisfied" with the U.S.' Social Security and Medicare systems.
They rank sixth highest among 22 issues the poll covered, with the top being 64% of the nation satisfied with the strength and preparedness of the military.
The future of the major entitlement programs is quickly shaping up as a battleground for the 2024 GOP presidential primary. Former President Donald Trump in late January warned Republican lawmakers to not cut the programs as part of the debt ceiling showdown with the White House, suggesting instead to target foreign aid, crack down on migration, ending "left wing gender programs from our military," and "billions being spent on climate extremism."
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who is also considering a 2024 run, on Thursday broke with Trump, saying cuts for the programs should be "on the table for the long term."
"We're looking at a debt crisis in this country over the next 25 years that's driven by entitlements, and nobody in Washington, D.C., wants to talk about it," Pence said on CNBC's "Squawk Box."
President Joe Biden during his State of the Union address earlier this month excoriated Republicans for suggesting they would cut Social Security or Medicare, citing a since-amended plan by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., which would have put them at risk of termination every five years.
Biden, in Florida last week, continued to hammer Scott, telling supporters, "The very idea the senator from Florida wants to put Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block every five years I find to be somewhat outrageous."
The Gallup poll was conducted over the phone from Jan. 2-22 with a random sample of 1,011 adults. The sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.