Haley Call for Social Security Reform Draws Donors: ‘We Need a Complete Reevaluation of Entitlements’

GOP presidential hopeful and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is drawing in more donors as she calls for social security reforms and targets other government spending overhauls.

As Haley flaunts her policies, wealthy donors who have begun to back the Oval Office hopeful are viewing her social security stance as a plus, according to a CNN report.

Ken Langone, the billionaire co-founder of Home Depot who is supporting Haley, recently told CNN, “We need a complete reevaluation of entitlements."

“What the hell is a guy like me (doing) getting $3,500 a month from the government?" Langone said about his own monthly social security benefits. “That’s outrageous. I shouldn’t get a nickel.”

But Haley’s plans to raise the retirement age are deeply unpopular —even in her own party among voters. A Quinnipiac University poll in March found that only 17% supported raising the full retirement age from 67 to 70, while 78% opposed it. Among Republican voters, 18% supported the proposal and 77% opposed it.

During a speech in September where Haley unveiled her economic plan for America, she proposed changes that would increase the retirement age for younger workers in being made eligible for Social Security and limit growth benefits for the wealthy.

“We change retirement age to reflect life expectancy instead of cost of living increases,” Haley said following the first GOP debate earlier in the campaign. "We do it based on inflation. We limit the benefits on the wealthy, and we expand Medicare Advantage plans,” she added.

Haley has also said that although Social Security and Medicare are "the last thing the political class" wants to address's any candidate who refuses to do so "should be disqualified" because "they’ll take your vote and leave you broke.”

The presidential candidate has also been recently endorsed by Emily Seidel, a top official associated with billionaire Charles Koch, who commended "courage" for taking on the "entitlement system."

The Messenger's Marc Caputo contributed reporting.