Marco Rubio Forced To Say How High He'd Raise Social Security's Retirement Age

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) didn't want to answer the question during Thursday night's Republican debate, but CNN's Dana Bash forced him to say how high he'd raise the retirement age for full Social Security benefits.

"Someone my age would retire at 68," the 44-year-old Rubio said, after he initially dodged Bash's request for a specific top retirement age. "We'd allow the retirement age to increase until it hits 70, so my children would retire at 70."

The current retirement age for full Social Security benefits is 67 for people born in 1960 and after. People who retire earlier get lower benefits.

Rubio desperately needs to win the Republican primary next week in his home state of Florida, which is full of seniors.

Rubio hasn't been incredibly forthcoming about his top retirement age policy.  On his campaign website and in an op-ed he wrote last summer, he has favored raising the retirement age, while remaining cagey about how high.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said he also supports gradually raising the retirement age, though he didn't specify.

Drawing a sharp contrast, entertainer Donald Trump said he wouldn't raise the retirement age at all. He said he'd improve Social Security's long-term financing through magical savings from cutting waste, fraud and abuse.

"It is my intention to leave Social Security as it is," Trump said.

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