{"id":255728,"date":"2026-05-02T19:23:47","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T19:23:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/255728\/"},"modified":"2026-05-02T19:23:47","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T19:23:47","slug":"trump-touts-senior-tax-cuts-in-the-villages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/255728\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump touts senior tax cuts in The Villages"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE VILLAGES \u2014 President Donald Trump came to the friendly territory of Florida\u2019s retirement haven Friday for his first public event since an alleged assassination attempt against him, touting tax cuts for seniors and parading Dr. Phil on stage.<\/p>\n

Trump quipped he wasn\u2019t afraid for his safety at The Villages, a GOP stronghold where he enjoys widespread support.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey want me to be in a secure place,\u201d Trump told a crowd with members who had lined up for hours to see him.\u00a0\u201cI said, \u2018What\u2019s a more secure place than The Villages?’\u201d<\/p>\n

In a roughly hour-and-a-half, characteristically sprawling speech, Trump boasted that he had decimated Iran\u2019s navy and military, bashed familiar targets from the media to \u201cSleepy Joe\u201d Biden and heaped praise on GOP Florida governor hopeful Congressman Byron Donalds.<\/p>\n

Trump told the crowd he had to take action on Iran, a position greeted with applause and U-S-A chants. He said he expects oil prices will come \u201ccrashing down\u201d once the war ends.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot let lunatics have a nuclear weapon,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n

Trump highlighted a variety of policies geared toward older Americans, including Medicare coverage for weight-loss drugs that will start July 1. He spoke in front of a banner that read, \u201cgolden age for your golden years.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the campaign trail, Trump had promised to eliminate all income taxes on Social Security, an appealing pledge for senior voters. But subsequent federal legislation, dubbed the \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill Act\u201d by Republicans, did not include that provision. Instead, it created an additional, temporary $6,000 deduction for older Americans, lowering their taxable income. The White House estimates this will save the typical senior about $670.<\/p>\n

With gas prices above $4 a gallon, Trump faces headwinds as midterm elections loom. He is polling underwater in Florida, a state he won by 13 percentage points in 2024, according to an Emerson College poll released in April.<\/p>\n

That poll showed Trump\u2019s job approval rating among likely Florida voters at 46% compared with 47% who disapproved.<\/p>\n

\"SupportersSupporters of President Donald Trump cheer while waiting for doors to open at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. Many camped out overnight in line to ensure access to hear the president\u2019s remarks. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Friday\u2019s event marked Trump\u2019s third visit to the mega-retirement community. Trump captured 68% of the vote in 2024 in Sumter County, home to most of The Villages. The rally, held just days after a gunman sought to barge into Trump\u2019s Saturday appearance at the White House Correspondents\u2019 Association dinner, featured intense security.<\/p>\n

Thousands of people clad in red, white and blue waited hours in line to listen to Trump speak. Some wore T-shirts with Trump\u2019s mugshot or the Gulf of America. One person\u2019s shirt read, \u201cDaddy is home.\u201d Another carried a sign supporting the addition of Trump to Mount Rushmore.\u00a0 People started showing up to the venue the day before the rally. A few who were overcome by the heat needed medical assistance.<\/p>\n

Once inside, the crowd waved signs that read \u201cNo Tax on Social Security\u201d and listened to a classic rock soundtrack that spanned from \u201cSweet Home Alabama\u201d to \u201cMargaritaville\u201d as they waited for the president.<\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump thanks TV personality Dr. Phil McGraw for his support at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump delivers remarks to a cheering crowd at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"U.S.<\/p>\n

U.S. Medicare administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz assists an elderly supporter of President Donald Trump who became ill during the president\u2019s remarks at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Supporters<\/p>\n

Supporters of President Donald Trump recite the Pledge of Allegiance while waiting for doors to open at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. Many camped out overnight in line to ensure access to hear the president\u2019s remarks. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump thanks a Villages resident on stage for her support during his visit at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump dances to \u2018YMCA\u2019 to a cheering crowd after delivering remarks at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel) <\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump delivers remarks to a cheering crowd at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump delivers remarks at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

An air mattress keeps one supporter of President Donald Trump comfortable while waiting for doors to open at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. Many camped out overnight in line to ensure access to hear the president\u2019s remarks. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump responds to a cheering crowd as he takes the stage at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"U.S.<\/p>\n

U.S. Medicare administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz assists an elderly supporter of President Donald Trump who became ill during the president\u2019s remarks at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump delivers remarks at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump responds to a cheering crowd as he takes the stage at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump delivers remarks to a cheering crowd at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump glances back at the cheering crowd as he leaves the stage following his remarks at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Supporters<\/p>\n

Supporters of President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi cheer while waiting in line at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. Many camped out overnight in line to ensure access to hear the president\u2019s remarks. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Supporters<\/p>\n

Supporters of President Donald Trump cheer while waiting for doors to open at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. Many camped out overnight in line to ensure access to hear the president\u2019s remarks. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A supporter of President Donald Trump dons a special hat while waiting for doors to open at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. Many camped out overnight in line to ensure access to hear the president\u2019s remarks. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Supporters<\/p>\n

Supporters of President Donald Trump wait for doors to open at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. Many camped out overnight in line to ensure access to hear the president\u2019s remarks. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Supporters<\/p>\n

Supporters of President Donald Trump cheer while waiting for doors to open at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. Many camped out overnight in line to ensure access to hear the president\u2019s remarks. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A flag-toting fan of President Donald Trump welcomes supporters while waiting for doors to open at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Supporters<\/p>\n

Supporters of President Donald Trump in line as temperatures soar while waiting for doors to open at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. Many camped out overnight in line to ensure access to hear the president\u2019s remarks. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Nap<\/p>\n

Nap time for a supporter of President Donald Trump while waiting for doors to open at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. Many camped out overnight in line to ensure access to hear the president\u2019s remarks. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Nap<\/p>\n

Nap time for some supporters of President Donald Trump while waiting for doors to open at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. Many camped out overnight in line to ensure access to hear the president\u2019s remarks. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A sign welcomes President Donald Trump at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A flag-toting fan of President Donald Trump welcomes supporters while waiting for doors to open at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Supporters<\/p>\n

Supporters of President Donald Trump cheer while waiting for doors to open at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. Many camped out overnight in line to ensure access to hear the president\u2019s remarks. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel) <\/p>\n

\"Abandoned<\/p>\n

Abandoned folding chairs pile up as supporters of President Donald Trump wait for doors to open at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. Many camped out overnight in line to ensure access to hear the president\u2019s remarks. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A supporter of President Donald Trump takes a nap while waiting for doors to open at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. Many camped out overnight in line to ensure access to hear the president\u2019s remarks. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A sign welcomes President Donald Trump at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Media<\/p>\n

Media set up for the visit of President Donald Trump at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 31<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump thanks TV personality Dr. Phil McGraw for his support at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s support in The Villages has not diminished in his second term, said Patti Goodson, 62, who wore a sparkly American flag dress.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would rate it an absolute gold star 10,\u201d she said. \u201cThis term I think he had time with the break over those four years to get everything right. I am a huge supporter and in agreement with pretty much everything he has done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Villagers feel like they are \u201cfinally going to get a break\u201d with Trump\u2019s plan to lower taxes for older Americans, she said.<\/p>\n

Though polls show Trump\u2019s war with Iran is unpopular, with even many Republicans questioning the wisdom of the move, there was plenty of support among speech attendees here.<\/p>\n

Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Fine said Iran was a threat that Trump needed to eliminate.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs bad as it is to pay an extra dollar a gallon for gas, a nuclear bomb going off in The Villages would be a lot worse,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"AA flag-toting fan of President Donald Trump welcomes supporters while waiting for doors to open at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Gavin McKelvey, 27, an Air Force veteran from Ocala, also said he backed Trump\u2019s decision to attack Iran.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf my administration says that it was absolutely mandatory that we go into Iran because they are building weapons of mass destruction I have faith in the fact that they are not lying to me,\u201d he said. \u201cI truly believe if that is the case it is justified and it needed to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several Florida Republicans facing voters later this year joined Trump at the rally. Donalds fired up the crowd ahead of Trump\u2019s speech with U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson also speaking.<\/p>\n

Television personality Dr. Phil McGraw also added his voice to the pro-seniors pitch.<\/p>\n

\"PresidentPresident Donald Trump thanks a Villages resident on stage for her support during his visit at The Villages High School, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s appearance sparked a political golf cart battle in The Villages earlier Friday, as previous appearances have also. Democrats held a protest near the rally venue. They displayed signs that read, \u201cOur troops are not your toys,\u201d \u201cHate will not make us great,\u201d and \u201cStand up for Democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wayne Carter, 62, of Tavares, said he joined the protest because he thinks Trump has promoted division and is making life harder for working and middle-class Americans.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur country is the laughing stock of the world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The cost of gas and groceries is putting a squeeze on older Americans, and even in The Villages, people are making their voices heard, said Dana Dandino, 71, who has lived part-time in the retirement community for the past two decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore if you were a Democrat you were in hiding,\u201d she said of the political scene in The Villages. \u201cYou didn\u2019t open up your mouth. You didn\u2019t say anything. Now flash forward 22 years, people are sick of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Josie Rotondo, 75, a Republican from Ocoee, said she is working to get the GOP out to vote in the midterms, and she\u2019s confident Trump will deliver lower prices.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just have to be patient,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have to trust in him.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"THE VILLAGES \u2014 President Donald Trump came to the friendly territory of Florida\u2019s retirement haven Friday for his…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":255729,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[28,114,115,139,141,140,99,109],"class_list":["post-255728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-florida","tag-latest-headlines","tag-news","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news","tag-politics","tag-social"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=255728"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255728\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/255729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=255728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=255728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=255728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}