This morning, President Trump tweeted out an early contender for “Lie of the Year,” claiming that he saved pre-existing conditions protections. In reality, the president and his administration have done everything in their power, both in Congress and the courts, to strip protections from 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions. The president’s claim was quickly debunked by the media, who called out his lie and reminded Americans of the truth about Trump’s disastrous health care agenda.
Dan Diamond (Politico): “Trump is not ‘the person who saved Pre-Existing Conditions in your Healthcare.’ He is the president who has spent 3 years putting Obamacare’s protections for patients with pre-existing conditions at risk.” [Dan Diamond Twitter, 1/13/20]
Abby Goodnough (New York Times): “There is no possible lens through which this claim about saving pre-existing conditions could be viewed as true.” [Abby Goodnough Twitter, 1/13/20]
Sarah Kliff (New York Times): “The Trump administration is currently asking federal courts to throw out the Affordable Care Act’s protections for pre-existing conditions.” [Sarah Kliff Twitter, 1/13/20]
Margot Sanger-Katz (New York Times): “The president endorsed several bills that would have weakened these protections if they had passed. He had no role in passing Obamacare, which established them. He supports a lawsuit to erase them.” [Margot Sanger-Katz Twitter, 1/13/20]
Alice Miranda Ollstein (Politico): “The Trump administration is arguing in court for the ACA (including protections for preexisting conditions) to be struck down, but they’re asking SCOTUS not to take it up until after the 2020 election.” [Alice Miranda Ollstein Twitter, 1/13/20]
Greg Sargent (Washington Post): “He’s simply incapable of breathing without lying. What transparently stupid gaslighting.” [Greg Sargent Twitter, 1/13/20]
Daniel Dale (CNN): “This is brazen lying. Democrats *got* the protections for people with pre-existing conditions, in Obamacare. Trump has tried to get bills passed that would weaken the protections, is supporting a lawsuit to overturn the whole law, has presented no plan for if the suit succeeds.” [Daniel Dale Twitter, 1/13/20]
Ian Millhiser (Vox): “Have we considered the possibility that Trump knows so little about health policy that he might actually believe that he saved protections for people with preexisting conditions?” [Ian Millhiser Twitter, 1/13/20]
Manu Raju (CNN): “The Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Obama, guaranteed coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. Trump’s administration backs a lawsuit to invalidate the law, effectively killing the pre-existing conditions provisions in the law.” [Manu Raju Twitter, 1/13/20)
Aaron Rupar (Vox): “The health care bill Trump pushed in 2017 only to be stymied by John McCain would’ve caused 25 million (!) Americans to lose their coverage.” [Aaron Rupar Twitter, 1/13/20]
Sam Stein (The Daily Beast): “Just an absurd lie that takes serious gall to even tell.” [Sam Stein Twitter, 1/13/20]