Trump vows to protect Social Security in attack ad scorching Biden's past calls for cuts

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday vowed to protect Social Security and Medicare in a campaign ad highlighting President Joe Biden's prior comments about cutting or reforming the programs while serving in the Senate.

The 88-second ad includes footage of then-Delaware Democratic Sen. Joe Biden discussing the necessity of making cuts to Social Security and other programs.

"When I argued that we should freeze federal spending, I meant Social Security as well... and I not only tried it once. I tried it twice. I tried it a third time and I tried it a fourth time," he says in one segment.

"Raising the cap, raising the retirement age for people who are now 30 years old, raising the tax on Social Security, cutting benefits, they're all things that have to be discussed, quite frankly," Biden says in another.

"We are going to change the retirement age for Social Security," he declares.

The ad then pans to Trump issuing a clear declaration that "I will not, under any circumstances, allow either of these two precious gems to be even touched under a Trump administration."

"You will always have your Social Security in full, as you have it now, and you will always have your Medicare," he then insists.

Trump's comments come after Biden last year excoriated Republicans over a plan to "sunset" federal legislation during the State of the Union address. 

"Some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset," he said, leading Republicans and media outlets to subsequently highlight his introduction of legislation in 1975 that would have limited budget authority for all federal programs to between four and six years.