

Johnson said that he would submit a balanced budget within his first 100 days in office, without raising taxes. That would require slashing about 20 percent of federal spending, a massive cut on a scale not seen since just after World War II. Even the most ardent deficit hawks in Congress have proposed plans they say would balance the budget over a span of five to 10 years, not in one fell swoop.



Johnson said he would look to block-grant Medicaid to the states, "devolve Medicare to the states," means-test and raise the retirement age on Social Security, and shut down American military bases across the nation and world.



"Can there be reform and can there still be a health-care safety net? Absolutely," Johnson said.



Pressed by reporters on how he would cut so much, specifically from Medicaid, without taking away health care from people, Johnson was at a loss for specifics.



"Well, if it means not having cellphones," he said. "There's things that can be done that, in my opinion, nobody's without and you can still deliver those essential services."