The House GOP wants to cut up to $2 trillion in mandatory spending from the federal budget over the next 10 years -- is Social Security on the chopping block?

President Trump has linked two budget items, and that may be a good idea. Trump wants to extend his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and provide some other tax breaks, and we need to fix Social Security. The link between tax cuts and Social Security exists because one of Trump’s new tax-cutting proposals would exempt Social Security benefits from taxation under the federal income tax.

Social security is already in danger. President Trump’s plan to get rid of income taxes on the benefit won’t save it. In fact, it’ll probably do the opposite.