Recent articles highlight President Trump’s significant efforts to overhaul and reduce the US social safety net, marking one of the most substantial rollback efforts since the programs’ inception. The 'Big, Beautiful Bill' signed by Trump aims to slash Medicare and Medicaid by $930 billion over the next decade, potentially leaving up to 17 million Americans without healthcare coverage. It also includes drastic cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), risking the eligibility of about 1 million vulnerable individuals and affecting roughly 16 million people who rely on food aid. These policy changes are expected to increase the uninsured rate from 7.9% to 9.2% by 2028, with states like Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas most impacted. The law also makes it harder for adults to qualify for Medicaid and ACA coverage, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating a reduction of 7.8 million Medicaid enrollees and 8.2 million fewer ACA coverage by 2034. The cuts are part of broader efforts to offset trillions in lost revenue from tax cuts that favor the wealthy and corporations, adding at least $4 trillion to the national debt. While some conservatives argue that welfare programs have become excessive, many Republicans have expressed reservations about the scale of these cuts, especially concerning rural hospitals reliant on Medicaid funding. The policy shifts will be felt gradually, with increased paperwork, higher premiums, and potential hospital closures affecting everyday Americans. Historically, US social welfare programs, established during the New Deal and expanded under Johnson’s War on Poverty, have faced ongoing opposition from conservatives. From the initial exclusion of certain worker groups in the 1935 Social Security Act to Reagan-era austerity, successive administrations have sought to limit or cut welfare benefits. Critics argue that these measures reflect a persistent prioritization of wealth accumulation over social support, leading to a fragile safety net that is now being further dismantled. Voters have historically responded to such austerity measures with political shifts, as seen in the 2018 elections. Currently, high inflation and economic pressures suggest that many Americans are unprepared for further austerity, raising concerns about the long-term social and economic consequences of these policy changes.