AMNA NAWAZ: In the final days of this election,# both presidential candidates are trying to win## over older voters with their plans for entitlement# programs like Social Security and Medicare,## which provide financial protections# to retired and disabled Americans.

But Social Security, a program that has# long been popular with both parties,## is at risk of being depleted as soon as 2034,## and Medicare will be insolvent by 2036, leaving# families without critical financial support.

As part of our in-depth coverage of# the candidates' Promises and Policies,## Lisa Desjardins is here to walk us through how# both campaigns say they will tackle the issue.

Good to see you, Lisa.

LISA DESJARDINS: Good to see .. AMNA NAWAZ: So l..

If these programs do become# insolvent, who's at risk?

LISA DESJARDINS: A massive group of people.

Before Social Security and Medicare were# in place together, 35 percent of American## seniors lived in poverty.

That number# is more like 10 percent now.

If Congress## and the White House do not do anything,# Social Security will see 20 percent cuts## within the next decade, and, by some# estimates, senior poverty will double.

Now, there are ways to solve# this.

They're politically tricky,## but it takes making tough choices.

AMNA NAWAZ: All right, so let's start# with what the candidates say here.

And let's start with a program that's# going insolvent first, Social Security.

LISA DESJARDINS: Neither candidate has# a comprehensive plan to stabilize Social## Security.

And, in fact, analysts have# found that one candidate's plan would## actually destabilize it.

That's# former President Donald Trump.

Let's talk about how he speaks on this.

Here's# one of his messages on the campaign trail.

DONALD TRUMP, Former President (R) and Current U...

Candidate: I will cut all of the bad talk#about Social Securi... destroy your Social Security, but I will not# cut 1 cent from Social Security or Medicare.

DONALD TRUMP: And I kept my promise for# four years that I will keep it again,## and seniors should not pay# taxes on Social Security.

LISA DESJARDINS: OK, so Trump specifically says# he will end income taxes on Social Security,## he would end payroll taxes,# which fund Social Security,## on tips and overtime pay, and, in addition, not# raise the retirement age, currently 67 years old.

He has no proposals for making the system# more solvent.

And I should also point out,## 20 years ago in a book, he had# different policy proposals.

He## wanted to privatize the system and raise# the Social Security retirement age then.

AMNA NAWAZ: So you said the plans would make## Social Security less stable,# right?

How so, specifically?

LISA DESJARDINS: Specifically,# Trump's plan has been analyzed## by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

The system is running out of money as it is,# and essentially his plans would reduce the## funding.

So let's look at what they found.

They# found that Trump's plan would most likely make## Social Security insolvent and force cuts# three years sooner, by 2031.

And the cut## eventually would be larger, a 33 percent# cut in benefits in 10 years, they found.

Now, this also is something that# would affect people beginning with## those who are 60 years old now# and want to retire by 67.

And,## of course, those kinds of cuts would affect# everyone on Social Security now as well.

AMNA NAWAZ: So we know Vice President# Harris has been critical of former## President Trump's plans, but what# are her plans?

What would she do?

LISA DESJARDINS: Yes, let's# start with how Vice President## Harris talks about Social Security herself.

KAMALA HARRIS, Vice President of the United States# (D) and U.S. Presidential Candidate: My plan## includes what we need to do .. we're going to need to do in work with Congress# to make sure we're putting more into it.

And it## cannot be about cutting benefits, because right# now those benefits are barely adequate as it is.

LISA DESJARDINS: Now, Harris has# also not given any details about## how she would keep the system solvent# while potentially expanding benefits.

And remember that doing nothing about# that means there would actually be an## automatic cut going into place in# 2034.

So without any more details,## Harris' plan heads us towards# a cut in Social Security.

We spoke to Maya MacGuineas, who heads the# Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget,## about these two plans for Social Security.

MAYA MACGUINEAS, President, Committee for a# Responsible Federal Budget: And if you just take## Social Security, what's really.. they promise to protect the program.# If we do nothing, in nine years,## there will be across-the-board# benefit cuts of almost a quarter## for every retiree who is collecting# benefits, and that's unconscionable.

LISA DESJARDINS: And, Amna, it's also not## something either candidate is really# facing up to o.. AMNA NAWAZ: OK, so that is Social Security.

Medicare is also at risk.

What# do the candidates say about that?

LISA DESJARDINS: I'm sorry to say, neither# candidate has a plan to stabilize that either,## but Harris does have some proposals for Medicare# that are significant and we should point out.

She wants to expand the plan and would# negotiate all drug prices, and that could## save billions of dollars for Medicare and for# the government.

She likes to point out that## she and President Biden expanded the program# and started the program to negotiate on drugs.

But former President Trump does not# have a specific prescription drug plan,## and he also -- it's not clear if# he would allow Medicare to keep## negotiating prices or if he would# expand it.

We just don't know.

Harris would use the savings from this# idea of negotiating more drug prices to## begin a new benefit for in-home care.

Former# President Trump also is interested in that,## but it's not clear how he would pay# for it.

As things stand, though,## the bottom line is neither candidate has a# plan to stabilize Medicare, and we are on## that same track, in other words, a program that# will face benefit cuts if nothing else happens.

AMNA NAWAZ: Lisa, it's fair to say the# situation with both these systems is## approaching dire.

So how do voters# feel about this?

What do they say?

LISA DESJARDINS: This is a# really important sleeper issue,## especially with a key group# of voters, older voters.

The AARP did a survey of American voters# over 50, and they found that Harris has## an advantage here.

When asked, who do you# trust more on Social Security and Medicare,## 48 percent said they trust# her more than Donald Trump.

One more thing, we keep talking about# how the economy tops concern for voters.## This is part of that issue in America.

The# AARP found that, with those voters over 50,## that when they were asked about what would help# them most financially, their personal economy,## Social Security, protecting Social Security,# was tied for first with food prices.

We talk so much about inflation, but keeping# Social Security intact is something that older## voters realize is a key part of their# economy and also the national economy.

AMNA NAWAZ: So important to point out the# economy means so many things to different people.

LISA DESJARDINS: That's right.

And older voters, this is... that I think has just not been given## enough attention by the candidates, in part# because it is difficult.

Either you have to## raise some kind of revenue or you have to# cut benefits.

They know that's the case.

And the longer that they wait, Amna, the# more painful it's going to be for them,## for our seniors, for you and I,# for just about everyone waiting.## So this is really sort of a failure in# addressing a critical American problem.

AMNA NAWAZ: Lisa Desjardins, thank you so much.

LISA DESJARDINS: You're welcome.