โKill Obamacare!โ isnโt something weโve heard from Republicans in a while. But, just like the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump is determined to make us re-live the most draining fights in recent political history.
Suggested Reading
Over the weekend, Trump said that he wanted to repeal former President Barack Obamaโs signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as โObamacare.โ
โThe cost of Obamacare is out of control, plus, itโs not good Healthcare. Iโm seriously looking at alternatives,โ wrote Trump on Truth Social. โWe had a couple of Republican Senators who campaigned for 6 years against it, and then raised their hands not to terminate it. It was a low point for the Republican Party, but we should never give up!โ
Trump was, of course, hinting at the epic political disaster that was the Obamacare repeal effort. The simplest explanation for why Republicans didnโt repeal the Affordable Care Act is that they didnโt have the votes within their own caucus. Three Republican Senators voted against repealing the health care law, including the infamous thumbs-down vote from the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).
The bigger problem, of course, was that they couldnโt provide a feasible alternative that actually improved the health care system for Americans.
Despite the backlash on the right, the Affordable Care Act is popular: A KFF poll found that the majority of Americans support the reforms ushered in by the law. However, the lawโs favorability is still underwater with Republicans.
Unsurprisingly, the White House jumped on Trumpโs post โ seizing an opportunity to note some of the stakes in the upcoming election.
Multiple news outlets have reported that the Biden campaign is pushing new advertisements highlighting the difference between his healthcare efforts and Trumpโs statements on the Affordable Care Act. The campaign is also reportedly having former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speak with reporters about the consequences of rolling back the lawโs reforms.
Straight From
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.