Donald Trump, as you can see above, just tweeted out a promise that, “Republicans will be providing far better Healthcare than the Democrats, at a far lower cost.” If it sounds familiar, it’s because it’s something that he’s promised a near infinite number of times in the past. It started before the election in 2016, when Donald Trump promised the American people that, if he were elected, he’d give us “something terrific” to replace the Affordable Care Act. “You’re going to have such great health care, at a tiny fraction of the cost — and it’s going to be so easy,” he said, telling us that he’d sign it into law on his first day in office. That, of course, never happened.
Now in office for almost four years, Donald Tump has still to offer an alternative to Obamacare, let alone one that would provide “insurance for everybody,” like he has repeatedly promised over the course of his administration. Instead, his administration has done the opposite, seeking to undermine the Affordable Care Act at every turn, and strike down the protections for preexisting conditions afforded under Obama’s signature legislation, without offering anything to fill the void. And, as a result, millions of Americans have lost their health care since Trump took office.
Now, with a new election around the corner, it looks as though Donald Trump is back at it, telling people that a great new health care system is imminent. A few moths ago, in an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News, Donald Trump promised that, by August 2nd, he’d have signed a “full and complete” health care plan into law. And, guess what? It never happened. We’ve yet to even see a draft of the “phenomenal” new plan he promised. And, today, he’s telling everyone yet again that it’s just round the corner, the same way, a few days ago, he told America’s seniors that, if they’d just reelect him, he’d be sharing the “cure” for COVID-19 with them completely free of charge.
I find it hard to believe that anyone — even the most diehard Trump supporter — believes him when he says, as he did today, that a wonderful new Republican health care plan is on the way. I can accept that some might have believed him, back before the 2016 election, when he promised that, if we elected him, he’d give us a plan that would “take care of everybody” on his first day in office. But I refuse to accept that anyone legitimately believes that Donald Trump has any intention to make good on that promise now, after four years without any sign of progress. I get that people don’t want to believe that they voted for a liar and a conman, but I refuse to accept that anyone actually believes him when he says that something is in the works. They may think, “Yeah, he’s lying, but they’re all liars, and at least he’s better than the America-hating socialist Joe Biden.” But I can’t accept that anyone really believes he’s feverishly working on a plan to guarantee that every American has access to quality health care… If you know of anyone who believes Donald Trump when he says that he’s diligently working on a plan that will cover all Americans for less money, please leave a comment. I’d love to hear about them.
Oh, and let’s not forget, if the Republicans really wanted to move on health care, there was absolutely nothing stopping them. When they care about something — like the Amy Coney Barrett Supreme Court nomination — they give it their all. The simple truth is, they don’t want to put forward a comprehensive national health care plan. During the first two years of the Trump presidency, they had control of the House, the Senate and the White House. They could have passed anything that they wanted. They passed tax cuts for the rich. That should tell you everything you need to know.
I hate the background music they’ve added here, but this video includes some of Trump’s past promises with regard to health care, in case you need to be reminded.
You had your chance. Bye, bye. pic.twitter.com/jQjfHFchU6
— MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) October 13, 2020
15 Comments
I heard that Infrastructure Week is coming right after the election. Two weeks.
It’s hard to tell if the Trump supporters believe Trump isn’t just lying, as is so painfully apparent. They avoid talking about such things. It’s not clear to what degree they are trying to lie to themselves, or just to others they see as opponents. It’s a strange thing. It appears very sociopathic.
https://youtu.be/SH329MmRikQ
On the ground reporting.
EOS, HW and FF, do any of you believe that Donald Trump and the Republicans are working on a health care plan to replace the ACA?
The House is currently blocking any rational legislation. Once the Reps control both the Senate and the House you can expect free market solutions far better than the very expensive “Affordable Care Act”.
Will it be better than the free market solution to retirement and medical care of the elderly prior to Social Security and Medicare?
It will be much better than the Social Security and Medicare benefits I will get in return for having 15% of my income taken from me for the duration of my work career.
Social Security and Medicare are not entitlements. They are plans that we pay for in advance and then we don’t get our money’s worth. Nothing but Ponzi scams.
EOS: “Once the Reps control both the Senate and the House you can expect free market solutions far better than the very expensive “Affordable Care Act”.”
The Reps DID control both the Senate and the House until January of 2019. Did you forget? We didn’t see any “free market solutions” from them.
So, EOS, you’re answer is “yes” to Mark’s question regarding whether or not you actually believe Trump has a brilliant health plan he just hasn’t unveiled yet for some inexplicable reason.
There has never in the history of the world been a free-market that provided health care to all of the participants in the market. Catholics came closest but their system was deeply flawed. You know like how they raped children as part of it and are fetus worshipers to the degree that they put pregnant women in danger. No decent person wants THAT! Besides, if religion was going to be the solution to our health care issues or other social issues, it would have already solved them.
What is weird is that so many people believe this free market approach will work. The sad thing is that they most likely will not believe that it doesn’t work until they are dying in the parking lot of a hospital that won’t admit them due to their lack of health insurance and then it will be too late.
I just hope that enough people get out and vote so that President Biden has both houses of congress to work with. My prediction is if that happens, the SCOTUS will not invalidate the whole of the ACA but if Trump wins, they will. Why? If Biden wins with a Democratic congress, and the ACA is ruled unconstitutional, that just paves the way for Medicare-for-All socialized system.
Robert,
In our Republic, it is the legislative branch that makes the law.
EOS,
The Republicans controlled both houses of the legislative branch up until January of 2019. What part of this are you not understanding?
EOS, did you really not know that, for the first two years of Trump’s presidency, the Republicans held the House, Senate and White House?
During the 60 Minutes interview with Donald Trump that ran tonight, the White House Press Secretary handed Lesley Stahl a giant book, which she said included the President’s long-awaited “health care plan.” According to Stalh, it didn’t actually contain a health care plan.